Celestial Light in Demon's Darkness
by Princess Nelly
Summary: Lucy certainly hadn't intended for any of this to happen. So how the hell did she find herself on a journey to discover the fabled God keys? Oh yeah, because demons were being resurrected and had attacked Fairy Tail. It didn't help that she was the catalyst for the attack. And now, she was Earthland's only hope. *Tartarus Arc never occurred in this story* RATED M FOR REASONS. LALU
1. An Office Full of Firsts

Hey Nella, why are you uploading a new story when you still have four incomplete ones going? Because I'm an idiot that's why. Jheeeeze. Okay, so basically, because **A Dragon's Instinct to Protect** (LaLu) and **The Benefits of Secrecy** (GraLu) are both side stories, I don't really have to update them as much as possible. Also, I have a bad case of writer's block on both **Strength of a Celestial Mage** (Laxus x Lucy x Mystogan) and **Dragonheart** (LaLu, GraLu and RoLu), which means I've been working on this story rather than the other two. This story was actually written before both Dragonheart and Strength of a Celestial Mage, so I've already got a few chapters for that written, which gives me time to write on SoaCM and DH.

Please don't get mad, like seriously. I promise I will complete all my stories, somehow. Hopefully this summer actually. SoaCM is nearing its end which will allow me to focus on this one and Dragonheart more. Anyway, enjoy!

 **I don't own Fairy Tail, only the OCs and plot!**

* * *

An Office Full of Firsts

Lucy entered her precious guild, grinning and greeting everyone as she did so. Mira welcomed her cheerily, placing down a strawberry smoothie in front of her as she wiped down a few beer mugs. Lucy beamed in thanks before sipping at her milkshake.

"How are you today Lucy? You seem cheery, did you have a good night with Laxus?" Mira questioned, causing Lucy to blush brightly before shaking her head

"Ehhh? What are you talking about? Laxus left for a job with the Thunder Legion yesterday evening" Lucy replied

"Oh? I forgot about that, come to think about it, I was wondering why Evergreen and Freed weren't around yesterday" Mira replied, a thoughtful look on her face

"Yeah, it seemed like a simple enough mission, it wasn't S Class or anything… I wonder why Laxus took the job. Either way, he'll be back today," Lucy thought, biting her lip

"Hmmmm… I don't know. OH! I forgot to mention, Master wanted you upstairs as soon as you entered. Something about paperwork and files" Mira informed causing Lucy to nod as she left to climb the stairs

"Master Makarov?" Lucy questioned, knocking on the guild master's door

"Lucy! Come in my dear, there's no need for you to knock" Makarov said, grinning as Lucy sweat dropped

The last time she had entered his office without knocking, she had caught him otherwise _preoccupied_. That had been embarrassing for her; the master hadn't noticed he'd been caught, as he was so _engrossed_ in his extra curricular activities.

"I think I'll just knock aha" Lucy replied, scratching her head

"Oh? Okay. Anyway, I know that my brat has gone off on a mission, so I don't have any help today, would you mind doing some paperwork? I hate to ask this of you, but you always help Laxus and there's no one else I can trust with these secrets. Well actually, there's Erza or Mira but they haven't been brought up to handle finances and legal documents like you have" Makarov said causing Lucy to grin

"Yeah sure! I don't mind, to be honest, I rather enjoy it. I find it relaxing, which is why I have no problem helping Laxus. I'll get started on it straight away" Lucy said as she exited.

She walked into Laxus' office, sending a bit of her magical energy into the Lacrima lock that was installed on all office doors in order to keep the documents secure. Thankfully, Laxus had updated the lacrima's database to accept her magic; otherwise she was sure she'd have been paralysed by the stun spell.

She sat down in Laxus' massive chair, grinning as she flicked through his papers before reaching into his drawer for a pen. She grinned, nostalgia consuming her. She'd been in this very office with him so many times that it had become a safe haven for her.

Lucy thought back to the first time she had been asked to help Laxus with his paperwork, smiling softly at the fond memory. After all, it was the reason that they were together now.

*Flashback*

" _Hey Lucy, are you busy?" Mira questioned, knowing full well that said Celestial Mage wasn't busy_

" _Hmmm? No, I'm free for the next two weeks actually" Lucy replied, causing Mira to frown_

" _Oh, what about going on a mission with Natsu?" Mira questioned, looking around for the dragon slayer_

" _He's on a fishing trip with Meredy" Lucy replied nonchalantly, causing Mira's eyes to sparkle_

" _Oh?" She replied, fishing for details_

" _Yeah. Who knew Meredy liked to fish? Happy certainly loves it, and it's a load of my plate because now he always asks her for fish instead of me. Thank Mavis; I was sure I was going to go bankrupt from the expensive fish Happy likes. Besides, Natsu loves that he finally has a fishing buddy besides Happy" Lucy replied_

" _They do make a cute pair don't they? Natsu and Meredy" Mira giggled_

" _Hmmm? Oh yeah, that is, if Natsu mans up and asks Mimi to make it official" Lucy replied, smiling at the thought of her two friends finally being happy._

" _So what about Erza and Jellal?" Mira questioned._

 _Other than Bisca and Alzack, her and Freed and Elfman and Evergreen, there were no other couples besides those in Team Natsu, and with all the missions they'd been on lately, she'd hardly had enough time to get the latest gossip. Well… there was Gajeel and Levy, but she was sure Levy would die of embarrassment the next time she bought that up._

" _Erza and Jellal are on an S Class together, they were specifically chosen by the client and so they won't be back for a while either" Lucy replied, twirling the straw between her fingers_

" _Gray and Cana? How are they doing?" Mira continued interrogating_

" _Ehhh, they're okay. Gray took Cana to Akane for the week, thought I'm sure it's only because Gildarts is back. But it's still cute" Lucy said, smiling for her brother like figure_

" _I was surprised with that couple actually, I wouldn't have thought it would have been them together" Mira replied_

" _I wasn't. Cana has liked Gray for years; he was one of her first friends here. I guess that friendship just developed into something more. He was one of the reasons she stayed despite telling herself she'd leave if she couldn't become an S Class. Though, I'm surprised she asked him out rather than the opposite" Lucy stated causing Mira to nod_

' _How did I not know that before?' Mira questioned herself_

" _And before you ask, Wendy and Carla are currently at a magic based medical institute in Lilia. Apparently there are some magical spells she could learn to better her healing skills. Also, there's a Sky Dragon Slayer there who promised to teach her some more spells" Lucy informed_

" _Oh? I didn't know there was another Sky Dragon Slayer" Mira stated_

" _Ahhhh, there isn't. He's old so he can't practice his magic anymore, but he was more than happy to pass on some of his wisdom and spells" Lucy replied with a sigh_

" _So it seems you really don't have anything to do for the new two weeks. I'm sorry Lucy, I wish I could be more helpful" Mira replied apologetically_

" _It's okay Mira, I'm sure I'll find something to do with my time" Lucy replied, grinning brightly_

" _OH! I know! You can help me with the bar. How does that sound?" Mira offered, causing Lucy to grin_

" _Sure!" Lucy responded, Mira handed the mage a large plate_

" _Here, take this up to Laxus, I was supposed to get it to him earlier but I guess I got distracted" Mira said sheepishly_

" _It's okay" Lucy giggled as she picked up the plate before walking upstairs_

" _Laxus? It's Lucy… I have your lunch" Lucy said timidly as she walked into the large office_

" _Oh, just place it down there" Laxus motioned, causing Lucy to nod as she placed it down before tutting at the mess on his desk_

" _What is it?" Laxus questioned, finally turning his gaze to her_

" _How do you work like this? Your desk is a mess" Lucy berated, causing Laxus' eyebrows to rise_

" _Because you know how to fill out and organise legal documents and finances?" Laxus questioned with a snort_

" _Actually, I do" Lucy replied, frowning at him as she placed a hand on her hips_

" _Really? Tell me, why does the Princess know that?" He questioned, learning back in his chair_

" _I was raised to be the wife of a business man, which surely enough, meant taking care of the paperwork as well as looking like a pretty piece of eye candy" Lucy snorted at her last remark_

" _I didn't know" Laxus responded, slightly impressed_

" _Yeah, it was the only I looked forward to learning everyday. I kind of miss it actually" Lucy said, the last part mainly to herself._

" _Then how would you like to help me? I hate it myself, but if I want to be the future guild master, I have to learn" Laxus replied, beckoning to one of the chairs by his desk_

" _As a matter of fact, I think I'll take you up on that offer" Lucy said, smiling as she left the office to inform Mira that she was going to be busy for the next two weeks. The demon matchmaker though, was extremely pleased with the new development in Lucy's life._

" _So, how about we get started?" Lucy said, grinning as she shuffled around his office, quickly organising things into piles. Laxus watched in amusement and awe as she quickly cleared his table up_

" _You know you can't tell anyone about what you read or file right?" Laxus questioned, staring at her as she filled out and filed some paperwork_

" _Yeah, I'm aware" Lucy replied, biting her lip as she read the document in front of her._

 _Laxus nodded before turning to his own pile of paperwork. He watched her from the corner of his eye, a look of bewilderment on his face at the joy on hers. He couldn't believe that anyone would find something such as boring old paperwork fun._

" _You know, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," Laxus said after a few hours, breaking the comfortable silence between them. The stack of paperwork had been greatly reduced. Lucy beamed at the older man; she hadn't felt so relaxed in years._

" _You know what, I think it will" Lucy replied after a while, sending him a large smile._

*End of Flashback*

Lucy grinned at the memory, trying to imagine her life where she had refused his offer. She couldn't imagine it, mainly because she didn't want to. Besides, she was much more happier now.

After that, they did paperwork more often together. She continued her trip down memory lane, skipping to their first kiss, which had, funnily been in this very same room.

*Flashback*

" _Oi Sparkles, where's the damn apology letter from your team regarding the town you destroyed on your latest mission" Laxus' voice boomed, looking at Lucy in question_

" _It's right by you, you stupid pylon" Lucy replied, throwing a pen at his head_

" _OI! What was that for Sparkles" Laxus questioned, glaring at her_

" _FOR CALLING ME SPARKLES, SPARKY" Lucy yelled, a tick appearing on her forehead_

" _Tch, whatever" Laxus responded, continuing on with his paperwork_

 _The two continued working in silence, casually and comfortable next to each other. Without realising they scooted closer together working around each other effortlessly, completely in tune with each other._

" _Why does your stupid team always have to destroy everything?!" Laxus finally yelled, annoyed with the amount of complaints he'd had to sort through about her team_

" _SHUT UP! MY TEAM ISN'T STUPID" Lucy yelled, her face close to his as she glared_

" _WELL MAYBE IF YOU TOLD YOUR STUPID BOYFRIEND NOT TO DESTROY EVERYTHING AND MAYBE CONTROL HIS DAMN FLAMES THEN THERE WOULDN'T BE SO MANY COMPLAINTS" Laxus screamed_

" _HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND SPARKY. HE'S JUST A FRIEND. ALSO, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU AND YOUR TEAM DON'T GO OVERBOARD SOMETIMES" Lucy yelled back_

" _WHAT! WE DON'T DESTROY NEARLY HALF AS MUCH AS YOU DO" Laxus defended_

" _SHUT UP! I'VE SEEN THE APOLOGY LETTERS AND COMPLAINTS, DESPITE YOU TRYING TO HIDE THEM. SO WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN THAT BEFORE YOU CALL MY TEAM-" Lucy yelled only to be cut short as Laxus' lips descended down onto hers_

 _Lucy froze, unsure of what to do. Laxus pulled away quickly, a light, almost non-existent blush on his face as he tried to continue with his paperwork. Lucy continued staring in shock, wondering what had just happened_

" _What- What was that for?" Lucy asked as she finally gained back the ability to form a sentence_

" _I just did it to shut you up. Your yelling was giving me a headache" Laxus mumbled, however, Lucy noticed the slight flush on his cheeks, causing her to grin_

" _You wanted to kiss me," She stated finally, staring at him in triumph_

" _What makes you think that? Of course I didn't" Laxus mumbled out once again_

" _Hmm if you say so" Lucy replied, and the two continued working in silence_

" _You know… if you_ _ **didn't**_ _want to kiss me again… I wouldn't mind" Lucy muttered, causing Laxus to stiffen, before turning to her, taking in the blush on her face before letting out a small chuckle_

" _Well, let's hope I_ _ **don't**_ _want to kiss you sometime soon" Laxus replied, Lucy giggled before nodding, the two getting on with their paperwork, sitting a lot more closer than they were before._

*End of Flashback*

Lucy giggled as she went back to that memory. It was so silly, but it had marked the change in their relationship. She'd always believed that her first kiss was going to be something special. That her and her boyfriend were going to go on a lovely date, and complete all the clichés and then finally, he'd give her, her first kiss on her doorstep.

However, life doesn't always turn out to be full of clichés. Sometimes things happen out of the blue and completely unexpectedly. She never believed that her first kiss would be one to shut her up. But then again, she wouldn't have it any other way.

It was just _so_ them.

*Flashback*

" _Hey Laxus, how's the paperwork coming along?" Lucy questioned as she entered his office. They hadn't done some paperwork in a while, considering he'd been off on S Class missions and she on her own missions with her team._

" _Hng" Laxus grunted, glaring at the stacks of paperwork beside him. Lucy giggled as she took her usual seat, getting started on her own stack._

" _So, how was the mission? How much did you destroy this time?" Laxus questioned without looking up from the paper_

" _Actually, it went better than usual. Meredy and Jellal tagged along, so there were more of us. Meredy kept Natsu in check, thought I'm not sure how. Not even Erza or I could do that" Lucy replied_

" _Hmmm, sounds like he has a thing for her" Laxus replied, unsure as to why he was gossiping with her_

" _Yeah, I seriously wonder why they're not official yet. Natsu always glares at any guy who tries to flirt with her and I'm pretty sure that Meredy has used her magic to inflict pain onto the girls who even dare to look at him" Lucy said giggling at the thought of her two friends_

" _Natsu's probably too dense to realise what he's feeling" Laxus replied causing Lucy to growl as she slapped his head_

" _Shut up, he's not that bad" Lucy defended, trying to stick up for her best friend_

" _Tch whatever" Laxus muttered_

" _So, how was your last S Class?" Lucy questioned_

" _It was alright, nothing new" Laxus replied. Lucy nodded as the two fell into a silence again, working diligently for the next hour._

" _Lucy" Laxus said, breaking the silence as he put his pen down_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Would you like to grab some dinner with me?" Laxus questioned, staring at her intently_

" _Like… a date?" Lucy questioned, blushing at the notion_

" _No." Laxus replied, and Lucy's shoulders fell slightly as she tried to hide her disappointment_

" _Not like a date. A date" Laxus said simply, causing Lucy to grin in response_

" _Can we do take away? I don't really feel like dressing up," Lucy questioned, cocking her head to the side_

" _It's our first date and you want to spend it in my office?" Laxus questioned, staring at her incredulously_

" _Well, why not?" Lucy questioned and Laxus chuckled before nodding_

" _Take away it is" He replied, moving to fetch a menu as well as the Communication Lacrima_

*End of Flashback*

Lucy stopped what she was doing as she relished in the last memory. She stood up, calling out to Mira for some food before taking a seat on the couch. Now that she thought about it, her first time with him was on the couch. Again, not exactly romantic, but it didn't matter about setting. All that mattered was that it was him and her.

*Flashback – Smut*

 _Laxus pressed Lucy against the couch, his mouth on hers as he sucked on her bottom lip. Lucy groaned against him, pulling his body closer to her as their mouths battled for dominance. She gasped into his mouth as he moved one of his hands under her shirt, flitting against her ribs as she moaned into his mouth, allowing him to slide his tongue against hers._

 _Laxus grabbed under her thighs and flipped her onto the large couch, she groaned as he settled between her thighs, one of his hands moving up her thigh and to her hips as the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her up and closer to his body._

" _Laxus" Lucy moaned, as he pulled his mouth away. He stared down at her; breathing deeply as he took in the sight of her flushed face. He growled at the sight before bending down and kissing his way down her jaw and towards her neck._

" _Lucy, baby, you have to tell me now if you want me to stop, because once I start, there's no going back," Laxus muttered against her skin, nipping at the tender flesh_

" _Please don't stop. I want you Laxus, I want you to be my first" Lucy whispered, cupping his face in her hands_

" _You deserve something better than on a couch in my office for your first time" Laxus muttered as he tried getting off of her, only for her to wrap her legs around his waist_

" _All I deserve for my first time is you" Lucy muttered, stroking his face as she gave him a soft smile. Laxus growled as he captured his lips between hers once again before pulling away._

" _I'll be as gentle as I can, but I can't promise anything," Laxus whispered as he nibbled on the outer shell of her ear, unbuttoning her shirt._

 _He watched as her breasts bounced out of the ridiculously tight shirt, he pulled her up, slipping the shirt off of her shoulder, placing light kisses along the bare skin before his hands trailed down to her skirt. He quickly pulled that off too, leaving her in her underwear._

 _He groaned at the sight of her underwear, it was a perfect paradox, the silk and lace revealing garments against the white colour that looked so pure against her creamy skin. He smirked before quickly taking off his own shirt and slack, leaving him in his tented black boxer shorts._

 _He brushed his lips against her cleavage, before moving to the valley between them, nuzzling the soft skin as he unclasped her bra, slipping it off her body. He let her go, watch as once again they bounced. He licked his lips, causing her to blush as she tried to hide them._

" _You don't need to shy away from me, you're so beautiful" Laxus whispered, his hand trailing up her ribs before cupping one of her large breasts._

" _So beautiful" he whispered once again, tweaking the nipple as she let out a soft mewl. He leaned down, taking the erect nipple in her mouth, sucking and nipping at the taut bud gently, earning more cries from his girlfriend_

 _Once he was done playing with her nipples, he trailed kisses down her flat stomach, his tongue dipping into her navel, earning him a gasp. He grinned before running his nose down her body and towards her underwear._

 _Lucy blushed as his eyes met hers. He held her gaze as he licked her through her underwear. He grinned as her blush increased before he skilfully removed the underwear with his teeth._

 _Lucy closed her eyes as she took in the feel of his soft lips against her thighs, his hands running up to her knees as he parted her legs. He groaned at the sight of her shaved lips, licking his own lips. Lucy's back arched as he licked up and down her slit before twirling his tongue around her clit._

 _He let out a grin and blew on her wet folds, causing her eyes to widen as her hips bucked against him, waiting for him to give her more than that. He felt her buck against his face, causing him to lean forward and press his lips against her folds, softly kissing them._

 _She spread her legs wider for him, silently begging for more. He licked up her slit again, drawing her juices onto his tongue before swallowing, groaning at her taste, she was unbelievably sweet and tangy, almost a delicacy that he couldn't wait to devour._

 _Lucy's hands found themselves into Laxus' hair as he continued his torturously slow licks, moving his tongue up and down her slit. He gave a long, hard lick up her slit before moving back down and entering her, he licked and sucked at each and every crevice, groaning against her as he continued enjoying his feast. His groans caused her to let out a piercing scream that almost shattered his eardrums._

" _That's it baby, let go" Laxus whispered against her folds_

" _Laxus, please" Lucy moaned, her back arching off the bed_

 _She continued moaning out his name as her orgasm drew nearer causing Laxus' licks and tongue lashing to continue with a more violent fervour, pushing her closer and closer towards the edge._

" _LAXUS" Lucy screamed, her hips trying and failing to buck against him, his strong hands holding her hips in place as he continued his torture, he had yet to touch her sensitive bud and she felt as if she was going to lose it if he didn't do so soon._

 _He continued his savage attack on her slit and Lucy saw stars when he slid his tongue deep inside her, twirling and flicking it, tasting every big of her until she was panting out incoherent words._

" _LAXUS PLEASE" Lucy begged and Laxus grinned, he finally left her slit and found her bundle of nerves, pulling it into his mouth as he sucked hard on the pearl, causing her to scream in pleasure, her legs quaking around his head._

" _God Lucy, you taste so good," Laxus moaned, licking up all of her juices before grinning at her._

" _Are you ready?" Laxus questioned, peeling off his boxers and lowering his hips against hers, the head of his cock rubbing against her folds_

" _I need you Laxus" Lucy moaned, Laxus groaned at her words_

" _This is going to hurt," Laxus warned_

" _I trust you" Lucy replied._

 _Laxus moved down to her lips, capturing them between his own as she slowly slid into her, her tight walls clenching around his dick. He soon came to her barrier, stopping._

" _Here goes baby," Laxus whispered before pulling back and pushing into her completely in a single thrust. Lucy let out a soft cry, her legs moving to clamp around him as her nails dug into his shoulders, her eyes shut as she tried to get over the pain_

" _I'm sorry baby" Laxus whispered, kissing her jaws as he stilled, letting her get used to the size of him. It was her first time and he was huge, therefore he knew the pain would be great than it normally would have been._

 _Finally, the pain subsided, causing Lucy to let out a timid buck, making sure there was no pain. Once she was sure, she bucked harder, the pleasure of him filing her completely taking over. Laxus groaned as he felt her buck before pulling out and thrusting again._

" _Shit, you're so tight, so wet. Baby you feel so good" Laxus moaned, the pace of his thrusts increasing_

" _Laxus, harder, please, give it to me" Lucy begged, Laxus let out an animalistic growl as he spread her wider, wrapping her legs around his waist as his thrusts became harder and deeper._

" _Oh Laxus" Lucy moaned, clawing at his back_

 _Laxus groaned before leaning down to capture her lips between his own. One of his hands moved to between their hips, poking and prodding against her clit. He rubbed her clit in tight circles with his thumb, her walls clamping down harder._

" _Lucy, baby I'm cumming" Laxus groaned, the speed of his thumb and thrusts increasing_

" _Cum with me baby, I want to feel you cum around my cock" Laxus moaned, Lucy let out soft cries as his cock entered deeper and harder._

" _Laxus! LAXUS I'M CUMMING," Lucy yelled as he continued playing with her clit. Lucy's walls clamped tightly around his cock, massaging his dick as his thrusts became more sporadic, his own euphoria taking over._

" _Shit baby, I'm cumming too" Laxus moaned before thrusting one last time, his cock was deep within her walls when he stilled, letting out a small roar as he came inside her, filling her with every drop of his cum._

 _Once they'd both come down from their highs, Laxus rolled off of her and onto the couch, pulling her against him. Lucy sighed as she was tucked between the large arms of her boyfriend._

" _Was I too rough?" Laxus questioned, wrapping an arm around her waist, ensuring she was okay._

" _You were perfect" Lucy whispered sleepily, a soft smile on her face as she fell asleep against his chest._

*End of Flashback and Smut*

Lucy sighed to herself. Now that she was living in her memories, she really did miss her boyfriend. She looked around his office, except it didn't look like just his office anymore. It was a piece of them; every first in their relationship took place in this office.

The place felt alive, it had pieces of their souls in every corner, in every item. It was somewhere no one could reach them. Somewhere they could just be themselves, be with each other. Lucy once again receded into her memories. Back to their very recent and most precious first.

*Flashback*

" _Laxus? What is this surprise? Why do I need a blindfold? Where the hell are you taking me?" Lucy questioned as Laxus led her somewhere unknown_

" _Will you just shut up Sparkles? Just shut up and trust me okay" Laxus mumbled, causing a tick to appear on her forehead_

" _WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME YOU OVERSIZED BATTERY? I SWEAR LAX-" She was soon cut off as the blindfold fell off from her face, she stared in confusion at her surrounding_

" _Why are we in your office?" Lucy questioned, Laxus only shook his head before turning off the light Lacrima in his office, causing her to frown_

" _Just come here" Laxus called out, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him_

" _Laxus! I can't see anything, what is this big surprise anyway?" Lucy questioned once again. She felt him kiss her cheek before nuzzling her neck, her back against his chest with his arms around her, pulling her close to him._

" _Look up at the ceiling" Laxus whispered_

" _What am I going to see? There's no light-" Lucy stopped short as her gaze turned to the ceiling, her breath caught in her throat._

 _Her mouth fell dry as she took in the sight of the ceilings glowing with small white dots in the shape of different constellations. However, what she really noticed were the little glowing white strings that seemed to wrap around the little lights, entwining itself between the lights._

" _Laxus… what is this?" Lucy questioned, her voice barely above a whisper as she continued staring at the ceiling_

" _It's all your favourite constellations representing you and your magic, and those white glowing strings are lightning bolts, representing me and my magic. It's a little piece of us that will forever be embedded in the guild. This way, we'll always be part of the guild, even after we're long gone" Laxus whispered, kissing the top of her forehead as he explained._

" _It's beautiful" Lucy whispered, her heart pounding as she fought the onslaught of tears_

" _Do you like it?" Laxus questioned, frowning, as he smelled the saline solution he knew to be tears._

" _I love it Laxus, no one has ever done anything this thoughtful for me before" Lucy whispered twirling in his arms and pulling him down to her, kissing him passionately. Laxus pulled away smiling as he kissed her forehead_

" _Lucy… I love you" Laxus whispered, holding her closer to him, she stiffened in his arms before relaxing further into them, almost moulding against him._

" _I wanted to be the first to say it… but I love you too Laxus, so much" Lucy whispered as he swept her in for another kiss._

*End of Flashback*

Lucy turned her gaze towards the ceiling, the lights shining brightly as always. She grinned, watching the lights twinkling as the glowing strings danced around them. Lucy sighed before turning to the window.

It was already dark and she probably should get home soon. However, before she could leave, the door swung open, giving way to Laxus' looming figure.

"So here's where you've been" Laxus stated, grinning as his girlfriend bound over to him, she jumped up, wrapping her legs around him as she engulfed him in a hug.

"How was it?" Lucy questioned as she kissed his cheek before letting him go, moving towards his desk and tidying up the papers, once again filing them.

"It was good. I was just thinking, that we've had a lot of firsts in this office" Laxus mentioned, watching with a rare smile as she wandered around, cleaning up.

"Oh? Funny you should say that, I was pretty much thinking the same thing" Lucy said, turning to look at him when she was done. Only then did she notice the little box in his hand.

"Laxus? What is that?" Lucy questioned, cocking her head to the side as she stared at it in confusion

"It's a gift," Laxus said before reaching out and handing it over to him

"Laxus, you really shouldn't have" Lucy said, beaming at him as she took the beautifully wrapped white and gold box from his hands. She carefully undid the ribbon before opening the lid. Only to gasp in surprise, turning to state at in disbelief.

"Where did you get these? _Why_ did you get these?" Lucy questioned, fingers grazing against the two items

"It was a reward for the mission. It's why I took it. When have you ever known me to take missions other than S Class?" Laxus replied, chuckling before his eyes softened

"As for why… it was a year ago today Lucy, that I fell hopeless in love with you" Laxus whispered, causing Lucy's eyes to widen.

"I know we've had many firsts in this office, and so I wanted my first gift to you to be under the same stars, in the same place as when I first told you I loved you. I know I've given you many gifts before, but those don't count. These Gate Keys, they're my first official gift to you on the first anniversary of when I knew I was in love with you" Laxus explained

Lucy sent him a watery smile before reaching up to him while pulling him down for a kiss. He grinned as he picked her up, deepening their kiss.

"You're such a romantic Laxus" Lucy giggled as they pulled away

"Don't go spreading it around, you'll ruin my image" Laxus teased, causing her to giggle again

"So why these two keys?" Lucy questioned, turning her gaze to the present

"Well, I got you the Shield, because well you need one. I don't want you getting hurt on any jobs if you can avoid it. Also, I heard it can shield large areas, so I was hoping you'd use it in order to stop Natsu from damaging so much stuff" Laxus replied, chuckling as she slapped his arm

"And this one?" She questioned, holding up the second key

"I heard that he's Loke's little brother, so I just assumed you'd want to reunite the two. I know how much that perverted lion means to you; no matter how much it annoys me" Laxus grumbled, causing Lucy to squeal as she once again hugged him.

"I love you Laxus" Lucy whispered

"I love you too Lucy" Laxus replied before sealing her lips with his own.

* * *

Isn't that just the cutest thing ever hehe. But yeah, leave reviews! I absolutely love reading them!

 **Wow, smut in the very first chapter. Nella what you doing with yourself?!**


	2. Wretched and Divine

So chapter two! Thank you so much for all the reviews and love! Since I've been planning this story for quite a while, I've realised that I've got quite a few chapters written for this story, which will allow me to work on my other stories. I've gotten some inspiration for my other two stories and I'm going to put it to paper as soon as I get some free time. Hopefully, it's soon because I only have three exams left.

Anyway, I don't own Fairy Tail because if I did it would be a Lucy Harem and there would probably be shit ton of ecchi and dirty humour. Anyway, enjoy the story!

* * *

Wretched and Divine

Lucy entered the guild the next day; once again she was met with cheery welcomes. She greeted Mira, ordering her usual before she took a seat at the booth that Team Natsu had claimed.

"Hey guys" Lucy greeted, taking her usual seat between Jellal and Gray.

"Hey Lulu, I heard Laxus came back yesterday" Meredy said, grinning brightly from her place next to Natsu.

"Huh? Oh yeah! Turns out he was on the mission to get these two keys" Lucy said, whipping out her two new keys.

"Tch, at least he did something worthwhile" Jellal stated, annoyance radiating off of him in waves.

"Laxus loves Lucy, you know that Jellal" Meredy replied as Jellal growled.

"So? Doesn't mean he deserves her" He retorted, frowning with his arms crossed by his chest.

"You did give him permission to date her," Meredy countered, causing the mage to stiffen before grumbling.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it" Jellal muttered.

Lucy sighed as Natsu and Gray agreed with Jellal, full well knowing that her three pseudo-brothers would never accept any of her boyfriends, because in their eyes there was no one that would ever be good enough or anyone who deserved her. She could still remember the first time they had found out about their relationship.

* * *

 _Lucy watched in annoyance as Gray and Natsu began their usual brawl, soon pulling Elfman and Gajeel into the mix. She sighed, knowing that some things just wouldn't change, and the Fairy Tail guild brawls just happened to be one of those things._ _She turned her gaze towards Jellal and Erza who were sitting next to each other, talking about their latest S Class job together before she turned her gaze towards her boyfriend? Lover? She didn't exactly know what Laxus was to her, as they hadn't discussed anything._

 _Lucy felt his gaze lock on to her before he turned around, making sure no one was watching them before he gazed into her eyes with a mischievous smirk. He trailed his eyes down her body, licking his lips before winking at her, causing her to blush profusely as he let out a shit eating grin, turning back to his own team._ _Mira stared at Lucy questioningly, wondering why the Celestial Mage was so flustered before shrugging and returning to her bar. However, just as Lucy moved to glare at Laxus, she was quickly caught in the brawl, Natsu accidentally grabbing her ankle as he fought Gray and Gajeel._

 _Lucy let out a high-pitched scream, causing Erza and Jellal to turn to her in worry. As soon as they realised what had happened, they sprang into action, Erza reequipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armour as Jellal tried to free Lucy from Natsu's grasp._ _Somewhere in the moment between Lucy getting caught up in the fight and the two S Class mages springing into action, Lucy had ended up under Elfman, the latter's large hands accidentally cupping Lucy's breasts._

" _Eeeeeep!" Lucy squealed, trying to scramble out from under the weight of Elfman's large body._

" _Lucy I'm so sorry, this wasn't very man-" Elfman began apologising as he tried to get off her, only to be ripped off of her body moments later._

 _Lucy's eyes widened as she watched Laxus grasp Elfman by the collar, easily lifting the large man into the air while lightning sparked around his body. The whole guild froze wondering why Laxus had gotten involved, that was until he sent a fist into Elfman's gut, sending the Strauss into the guild wall. Mira and Lisanna yelled in shock as they ran towards their brother, wondering what had gotten into the Lightning Dragon Slayer, Mira glaring at the blonde male._

" _You ever dare to touch what's mine again and I will kill you" Laxus growled out, glaring at Elfman before turning to help Lucy up, the Stellar Mage blushing as she accepted his hand, before slapping him on the shoulder._

" _It was an accident Laxus, you didn't have to go and punch him!" Lucy berated causing Laxus to let out a growl. Fairy Tail stood stunned, each and everyone recoiling as they waited for Laxus to unleash hell on Lucy for daring to even yell at him, let alone touch him._

" _You're_ _ **my**_ _woman, not his. If he wants to grab some boobs, he can grab Ever's" Laxus replied before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss._

 _Lucy blushed as Laxus referred to her as his girlfriend before melting into the kiss, completely forgetting that they were in the middle of the guild._ Once again, Fairy Tail froze, wondering what exactly was going on between the two mages.

" _Oh my" Mira said before fainting, hearts dancing around her head, completely forgetting about the fact that Laxus had just thrown her brother into the guild wall._

 _The whole guild had yet to react, that was until Laxus was ripped from Lucy's embrace by Jellal, the previous Wizard Saint slamming his face into the bar table, before sending a kick to the Lightning Mage's gut._

" _Who do you think you are violating her?" Jellal yelled, throwing another punch._

" _I'm her boyfriend you idiot, if I want to kiss my girlfriend then I will" Laxus muttered, dodging one of Jellal's punches and throwing one of his own._

" _HEY LAXUS! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE MY LUCY AWAY FROM ME" Natsu yelled, fists blazing as he joined Jellal's attack._

 _Laxus' eyes widened as Natsu uttered those words out loud. The dragon inside him roared, instincts telling him that the other Dragon Slayer was challenging him for what was rightfully his. Laxus let his instincts kick in, sending a Lightning Dragon Fist towards the younger Slayer._

" _SHE'S NOT YOUR LUCY" Laxus roared, lightning sparking around him._

" _Tch, guess I have to get involved now too, can't be outdone by that stupid flaming fuck, besides Lucy is also my precious nakama" Gray muttered before letting out a grin as he joined the onslaught._

 _Lucy watched with wide eyes, unable to move as Laxus fought the three guys who were like family to her. Suddenly, Erza got involved, decked out in her Lightning Empress Armour, jumping into the fray with a raucous yell._

" _HOW DARE YOU DISHONOUR HER? SHE IS A PRECIOUS ANGEL WHO NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED" Erza screamed, aiming her sword at Laxus' throat._

 _Finally, Lucy had had enough. A tick appeared on her forehead as she watched her teammates take a stance against her boyfriend. She let out a growl while she watched them move to attack him. However, just before they could, she stepped between them, her leg kicking out as she Lucy kicked them all._

" _DO I NOT GET A SAY IN THIS? GOD DAMN IT!" Lucy yelled, her teammates staring in fear._

" _But Lucy" Erza started, trying to placate her friend._

" _No Erza! I understand it; you guys always protect me, on jobs, at the Grand Magic Games, whenever I need it. And I let you, always. But you've gone too far. I don't need protection from Laxus, I can handle him myself" Lucy argued, causing Erza to quickly shut up as she stared wide eyed at the Stellar Mage._

" _What if he hurts you? I've seen him with other girls, using them as if they weren't people" Jellal argued, causing Lucy's eyes to narrow while Laxus stiffened._

" _Jellal you can't-" Lucy started only for Laxus to stop her, placing his large hand on her dainty shoulder._

" _You're right. I've never been in a relationship and I've never had anything more than a one-night stand. But don't you dare think, even for a second, that I would ever use Lucy like that" Laxus began, causing Lucy and the guild to turn their attention to the large male._

" _It may be strange for you to comprehend, but I love her. I really do. She means more to me than anyone else. I may not deserve her, hell I don't even know why she's even with me. But it doesn't matter because when it comes down to it, I love her and she loves me and I will fight you all a thousand times over just to ensure that I can still call her mine. So don't you go around running your mouth, trying to cheapen what I feel for her, because the next time you do, I won't be held responsible for my actions" Laxus finished, glaring at the mages on the floor._

 _Meredy let out a smirk before hopping up from her seat. She'd been silent for most of the encounter, watching and waiting for something, anything that would let her make her decision on their relationship. Lucky for them, she'd found that something. The Maguilty Sensory Mage walked up to the Dragon Slayer before placing her hand on his shoulder._

" _Mimi?" Lucy questioned, staring at her friend._

" _I don't know how it happened, and I don't think I have to know because from what I've just witnessed, you two have real feelings for each other. I can only assume that this has been going on for a while considering the increase in the amount of time you two have been spending with each other" Meredy stated before turning to the Lightning Mage._

" _Listen here Spark Boy, you have my blessing. However, don't think for a minute that I won't use my magic on you and feed you Era's famous death chillies, the ones so spicy it could possibly give you a heart attack" Meredy threatened before letting out a large smile._

 _Lucy watched as Wendy got up, nodding at Laxus before taking her place beside Meredy, the Sky Dragon Slayer letting out a small blush as she realised what she had just done. Lucy turned back to the rest of her teammates, hoping that they would accept her new relationship._ _The first to get up was Gray. Lucy watched as he glared at Laxus before turning his harsh gaze to her, his obsidian eyes softening at the hopeful look on her face. He let out an tsk before stuffing his hands in his pockets and taking his place beside Meredy and Wendy._

" _As long as you keep her smiling, I'll be okay with it" He said, shrugging before turning to grin at the blondes. Erza and Jellal got up, walking over to the couple._

" _If you dishonour her in any way" Erza began._

" _If you make her cry," Jellal continued._

" _If you treat her as anything less than the princess she is" Erza followed._

" _If you use her or abandon her" Jellal trailed._

" _We will kill you," The two said together, glaring at the male before turning and joining the rest of their team. Lucy had tears in her eyes, a soft smile on her face._

" _I… Lucy..." Natsu began, walking up to his best friend._

" _You're my best friend Luce. You're my princess and I'm your dragon. But sometimes, dragons have to give up their treasure" Natsu began, wrapping his arms around Lucy and holding her tight against him._

" _Natsu…" Lucy began, staring up at him._

" _Laxus, I've always looked up to you, for as long as I've known you. So you can have her. You can have the most precious person I've ever met, because I know you'll protect her better than I can" Natsu whispered lowly, so that only Lucy and Laxus could hear him._

" _Natsu" Lucy whispered, tears streaming down her face._

" _You'll always be my princess Luce, and I'll always be your dragon. But for now, it seems that you also have another dragon. Nevertheless, don't take this lightly Laxus, you may be stronger but if you hurt her, I'll surpass you and ensure that you never get to hurt her again," Natsu finished, letting out a grin as he slapped Laxus on his back._ _Laxus raised his eyebrow before nodding at her team, his arm wrapping around Lucy's waist, pulling her close to him, letting her rest against his side._

" _If anyone wants our opinion, we also accept Lucy and Laxus' relationship" came the voice from Evergreen._

 _Lucy's eyes widened as Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen grinned at her. Lucy smiled brightly as the whole of Fairy Tail began cheering, Master Makarov crying tears of happiness as he watched his grandson pull Lucy in for another kiss._

" _HEY! JUST CAUSE WE ACCEPT IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN DO THAT IN FRONT OF US" Jellal screamed, trying to separate the couple only to be held back by Cana and Meredy._

" _YOU GO LUCY!" Cana cheered, proud that her friend had finally found someone that made her happy._

* * *

"So Lulu, are you going to contract those keys?" Meredy questioned, staring at the two new keys in Lucy's hand.

"Oh? Oh yeah! I can do it now if you guys want to see" Lucy said, her team nodded as they followed her out onto the training grounds.

"I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. I beckon you to my side at once. Pass through the Gate. Open, Gate of the Shield, come Scutum" Lucy chanted.

Suddenly a bright white light appeared in front of her. She smiled at the spirit in front of her. It wasn't a humanoid spirit; instead it was a shield with large eyes and a mouth. It was a simple white and gold shield, with a crest in the middle that Lucy could not recognise.

"Hello, I'm Lucy, would you like to make a contract with me?" Lucy questioned, looking earnestly at the spirit.

"I would love to Miss Lucy. I am Scutum, the Shield Constellation. I am available in battle or whenever else you need me. I'm able to not only shield you from magic and melee attacks but also shield a whole area. I also have an automatic danger response such as Horologium and therefore can come out on my own if you do not summon me but I deem that there is danger to protect you from" Scutum replied in a deep voice, causing Lucy to nod as she wrote down their contract.

"Alright! If that's all, you can go back to the Celestial Spirit world" Lucy replied, Scutum nodded before flashing back to the Celestial Realm.

"I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits. I beckon you to my side at once. Pass through the Gate. Open, Gate of the Little Lion, come Leo Minor" Lucy chanted once again.

This time, in a bright flash came out a spirit that looked exactly like Loke, only slightly shorter. His hair was longer than Loke's, reaching his shoulders and was light blond in colour. He was dressed in a blue suit with a black tie and the same tinted glasses as Loke.

"I see, my brother's Princess has found my key, how convenient. I am Leone, the Little Lion. I'm Leo's younger twin brother, although while he uses light based magic, I use magic based on darkness," Leone said, smirking at the Stellar Mage.

"I'm-" Lucy started, only to be cut off.

"Lucy, I'm well aware. My brother won't stop going on about how you're his precious Princess and how amazing you are. It gives me a headache. Either way, like him, I'm available whenever you need me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have places to be," Leone replied rudely, however, before he could flash back, Loke appeared in a dazzling light.

"OI! LEONE! DON'T TALK TO MY PRINCESS LIKE THAT," Loke screamed, punching Leone with a Regulus blast.

"Oh… well she's now my Princess too, so I'll talk to her however I like" Leone replied, grinning darkly as he fired a Darkness Shot at his older brother.

"SHE'S NOT YOUR PRINCESS" Loke yelled, sending another Regulus blast at his brother

"Oh, is someone's petty jealous acting up again? What, can't you share her with your little brother?" Leone questioned, mocking Loke while sending another shot of darkness towards the mage.

"GUYS, CAN YOU DO THIS SOMEWHERE ELSE" Lucy yelled, a tick appearing on her forehead as she watched the two brothers argue.

"Of course Princess, anything for you my love," Loke stated before grabbing his brother by the suit collar, waving goodbye to the mages.

"Let me go Leo, I swear, I will pummel you" Leone threatened, struggling out of his brother's grasp.

Loke flashed backed to the Spirit World, dragging his brother with him, causing Lucy to sweat drop. She turned to her friend who stared at her friends. However, they were distracted as Natsu came running out of the guild, a flyer in his hands.

"GUYS! COME ON! I FOUND A JOB FOR US" Natsu yelled, waving the flyer in his hands. Team Natsu nodded, before following Natsu to the train station.

*Time Skip – At the Client's Home*

"Hello?" Lucy called as she knocked on the client's door.

The team didn't have to wait for long before a woman answered the door. She took a look at the five mages before nodding and beckoning them inside. The group followed the woman inside, being led into a large office.

"You must be the Fairy Tail mages. I need you to retrieve a book for me. It's a very precious book and so it must come back to me unscathed" The client stated.

"I see. What is the book called?" Lucy questioned, wondering why there was such a high reward.

"Lemegeton. It's a black leather bound book with gold writing. It's currently being held in the Temple of Angeloi" The client replied, causing Lucy to frown.

"But if it's in the Temple, shouldn't it stay there?" Lucy questioned, the name Lemegeton and Angeloi sounded familiar, but she wasn't sure why.

"No, you see, the book is one of a kind. I'm a collector of these kinds of books, which is why I need you to retrieve it for me" The Client replied.

The team nodded before making their journey towards the temple. Lucy stayed quiet the whole way, wondering why alarm bells were ringing in the back of her mind. However, the team soon arrived at the temple, causing Lucy to shrug off her thoughts and enter the temple with her team. Lucy was completely awed with the sight, from the beige, yellow stained brick wall to the large looming portraits that had faded over time, hanging in ruin on the large walls. She took in the sight, the author in her remembering every significant detail should she ever choose to use them in her stories.

"Alright, we should split up if we want to find the book. Natsu, Lucy you go right. Gray, Wendy you go left. I on the other hand will go straight. It shouldn't take too long to find the book. We'll meet back here in an hour," Erza informed. The team nodded before splitting up.

Lucy and Natsu followed the pathway to the right, as instructed by Erza. Lucy once again chose to take in the hieroglyphs on the walls, however she noticed that many of them were in fact deeply disturbing depictions on the walls. The illustrations mainly consisted of images of torture or death, however the words were in an ancient language, so there was no way she could read the writing or even try to translate the meaning of the images. Suddenly, the two mages felt overwhelming power radiating from the end of the hallway. Natsu and Lucy fell down, the strength of the magic power weighing them down. They turned to each other, wondering what was going on.

"I'm guessing that is where the book is being kept," Lucy muttered to Natsu, trying to breathe as he nodded, struggling to stand up from the weight of the power.

"How are we supposed to get to the damn book?" Natsu questioned, getting increasingly annoyed.

"We could crawl" Lucy mumbled. Natsu nodded and the two mages started crawling very slowly towards the magic power. However, once they reach the room, the energy dissipated, allowing them once again to stand up.

"What the hell was that?" Lucy questioned, panting as she tried to catch her breath.

"I have no idea. BUT LOOK! THE BOOK" Natsu said excitedly, rushing forward to take it off the pedestal, however, as soon as he touched it, he was thrown back against the wall.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, watching as her best friend stood up, dusting the rubble from his head.

"What the hell?" Natsu questioned, glaring at the book as he did so.

"There must be a protection spell on the book," Natsu continued, growling.

"Hmmm? I don't know… it doesn't feel like there's a spell," Lucy mumbled, looking around the large room.

Cautiously, she approached the book before extending a shaky hand to touch it. She closed her eyes as soon as she grabbed the book, waiting for the magic barrier to activate her and fling her against the wall. After a few seconds of bracing herself, Lucy's eyes opened, wondering why she was okay. She looked down, her hands were on the book and she was completely fine.

She turned to Natsu, grinning as she took the book off the pedestal. As soon as she did so, the temple started rumbling. Natsu and Lucy looked at each other completely alarmed. Lucy screamed as the temple ceiling started caving in. Natsu grabbed Lucy quickly, the latter holding tightly onto the book as he dragged her out of the room. They ran down the corridor, soon meeting up with Gray, Wendy and Erza as they quickly tried to dash out the collapsing temple.

The team raced along, Gray grabbing Wendy's hand as she started falling behind. As soon as the last walls collapsed, the team made it out the temple. They jumped from the stairs, falling on to the floor before turning and watching as the temple buckled on top of itself, leaving it as nothing more than a pile of rubble and rock. The team looked at each other in shock.

"What happened?" Erza questioned, causing Gray and Wendy to shrug in response.

"Natsu and I found the book, but as soon as I took it off the pedestal, the temple started falling apart" Lucy explained.

"Oh, I see. It's fine as long as you've got the book?" Erza questioned. Lucy nodded in response, holding up the book as she did so.

"Alright, good. Let's get back to the client," Erza commanded. The rest of the team nodded before they got up, Lucy story the book in one of Erza's many bags.

The team delivered the book to the client, who shooed them out of his office as soon as he paid them. The team looked at each other in question before leaving the office and house quickly, making their way back to their guild, completely annoyed with the client's disregard of their help. Meanwhile, with the client, the woman stared at the book, laughing as she took in the sight of the black leather and strange markings on the side. She turned to the 'client' before the two transformed into Minerva and a male.

"Stupid Fairies, handing us their demise on a silver platter" Minerva stated, cackling as her companion looked at her with a lazy smile.

"Now, now Minerva, let's not touch what we can't handle," The man replied, smirking at her as he extended his hand out, waiting for the book.

Minerva nodded, handing him the book as she took a seat on the couch, crossing her leg as she gazed upon at lover. She stared at him, taking in his figure and characteristics. He was tall, almost as tall as Laxus. He had shaggy white hair, which turned blue at the tips. His eyes were the strangest, she wasn't sure whether they were blue or purple, hell they could have even been both, the two colours mixing in an enticing swirl. He was lean and had abs to die for, his muscles stretching in his button down shirt.

"Alex, why do we need the book anyway?" Minerva questioned, wondering why her lover was so interested in the book. He'd convinced her that they needed it for Fairy Tail's downfall, but he hadn't told her what it did.

"Minerva, you should really keep up to date. What you see in front of you, is the Key of Solomon, otherwise known as Lemegeton" Alex replied, his fingers grazing across the covers, a large grin on his face.

"What does it do?" Minerva questioned, staring at the book, she could feel the evil aura being radiated from the book, the presence sending shivers down her spine. Her lover turned to her, sending her a large, mischievous grin that caused her to shudder with excitement.

"It has the power to summon demons," Alex stated simply, his deep voice filling the silent air.

* * *

AND THE PLOT THICKENS! So this is the first inkling I've actually given you to where the plot will go. This story, unlike my others, is quite plot related and there's really only one storyline that follows through. I've got 18 chapters written out, each around 4,000 - 5,000 words, so we can assume this will be my longest story yet. Speaking of other stories, if you enjoy this story, why not look at my other stories?

 **Strength of a Celestial Mage (In Progress) - Laxus x Lucy x Mystogan (yummy threesome)**

 **Dragonheart (In Progress) - Laxus x Lucy, Rogue x Lucy and Gray x Lucy (amazing foursome)**

 **The Benefits of Secrecy (In Progress) - Gray x Lucy (one of my favourite pairings ever!)**

 **A Dragon's Instinct to Protect (In Progress) - Laxus x Lucy (Oh yeah, the OTP)**

 **Dragons, Fairies and The Celestial Empress (Complete) - Laxus x Lucy, Natsu x Lucy, Sting x Lucy (Can you see how much I adore Laxus x Lucy?)**

Anyway, thanks for reading! Please send me reviews, they make me very happy! I even accept flames because in a way, they are still just pieces of criticism that I can use to improve my stories!

Princess Nella xo


	3. A Devil For Me

So, here's a new chapter. I know I haven't posted in months, but it's been a really few hard months for me. School is stressful, I'm applying to Uni (I already have 5 offers from all my unis for Biomed - so fkn excited) and well, I've been really down and in a bad frame of mind. I'm sorry I've been neglecting my stories. Hopefully, Dragon Heart and Strength of a Celestial Mage will be updated soon. I've written like a quarter of the next chapter for Dragon Heart, so that should be the next one that's updated. ANyway, hope you enjoy this chapter

* * *

A Devil For Me

*At the Guild*

Lucy sat quietly at the bar. She had a bad feeling about their latest mission. Her instincts and gut were rebelling and usually they were correct. She knew that the book Lemegeton sounded familiar but she just couldn't place it. Lucy growled, she could feel something big was going to happen, but she just didn't know what and it was killing her. Lucy let out another growl, grabbing her head and slamming it on the bar counter, causing Mira to let out an alarmed squeal before rushing over, ensuring that the Stellar Mage was okay.

"Lucy! What's wrong? Is something up between you and Laxus?" Mira questioned, magic sparking around her as she stared at the Lightning Mage who sat with his team.

"No! It's just on our latest mission; we had to retrieve a book from the Temple of Angeloi. The book was called Lemegeton and something seems off. I can just tell something big is going to happen, but I don't know what" Lucy ranted, causing Mira to stiffen, her eyebrows furrowing.

"You're right, the name of the book does sound familiar, even to me. For some reasons I'm having flashbacks to when I first gained my Satan Soul powers, but I don't know why either" Mira replied, wondering why her past was coming back to her all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry Mira, I didn't mean to bring it up" Lucy apologised, causing the barmaid to shake her head.

"No, no, you didn't mean anything by it. To be honest, I'm as stumped as you as to why it sounds familiar. Maybe you should ask Levy about it as soon as she and Gajeel get back from their mission tomorrow. I'm sure our resident bookwork would know about it" Mira advised causing Lucy to nod.

"You're completely right Mira, thanks" Lucy said before paying the bar mage.

"Hey girl" Cana said as Lucy joined the table.

"Hey Cana" Lucy greeted, giggling as she noticed that Cana was currently laying in Gray's lap, consuming a barrel as she did so.

"You know Juvia is glaring at you right Luce?" Natsu questioned, looking behind her, both him and Meredy snickering.

"What?! But Cana is literally right there, why does she still consider me the Love Rival when Cana is the one dating Gray? I'm with Laxus god damn it" Lucy said, frustrated as she turned to stare at Juvia, the latter staring at them from behind a pillar with tears streaming down her face.

"Gray, I thought you spoke to her?" Wendy questioned, causing Gray to shrug.

"I'm not the reason she considers you a Love Rival. I've already had this conversation with her. The reason is because she likes Bickslow and since you hang around the Thunder Legion so much… well you can see where I'm going with this" Gray explained, causing Lucy to stare at him wide eyed, Cana laughing in his lap.

"Oh my God, that's amazing, I didn't know Juvia had a thing for Bickslow" Meredy stated, turning around to stare at Juvia again.

"WHY CAN'T I SEEM TO CATCH A BREAK?" Lucy screamed, yanking at her hair, tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah, apparently something happened a while ago and now she has a thing for him. Don't ask me though" Gray replied, shrugging.

"Well good on Bickslow. He seemed kind of in the dumps after Lisanna broke up with him" Cana cut in, the team nodding.

"Yeah, I wonder why she did that. Either way, she and Max seem to be happy together… who would have imagined" Erza added.

"I see, so Mimi, I heard you got flowers from a secret admirer," Lucy said, snickering at the blush of Meredy's face and the look of anger on Natsu's.

'Serves her right for all the teasing I've endured because of her' Lucy thought to herself, snickering darkly.

"What? Who is this person trying to steal your innocence?" Jellal intervened, staring at Meredy with piercing brown eyes.

"Ehhh? I don't know! It's anonymous, hence SECRET admirer," Meredy claimed, however, Natsu still didn't look too pleased. He stared at Meredy with hard eyes before sighing as he stood up.

"Come with me" Natsu said, dragging Meredy away from the table. The whole table stopped what they were doing, wide-eyed and staring as Natsu dragged Meredy out of the guild. Mira rushed over, questioning eyes as she stared at the silent, shocked mages.

"What just happened?" Mira questioned, staring at the silent mages.

"I think Natsu is finally going to man up and ask Meredy to be his girlfriend" Lucy answered, causing Mira to squeal, however they were more worried about Jellal's reaction. Lucy turned to the Heavenly Body mage, wondering what his stance on the relationship was going to be. Finally, after sitting in suspense for what seemed like years, Jellal sighed before letting out a small sigh.

"Finally" He muttered before turning to his jelly, taking small bites of the lime flavoured jiggly dessert.

"Ehhhhhhh? You're not going to do anything?" Cana questioned, wondering why the mage hadn't ran after the couple to threaten Natsu.

"Why aren't you going to threaten him? Make sure he doesn't hurt her? You know, attack him the way you did Laxus?" Lucy questioned, eyes narrowing.

"Because I know Natsu honestly likes her. Also, I'm sure she'll use her magic on me and feed me hot chillies again if I try anything like that with her _beloved Natsu_ " Jellal muttered, shuddering as he remembered the incident at the Grand Magic Games.

"WHAT? WELL WHY DID YOU ATTACK LAXUS THEN?" Lucy questioned, her ire rising.

"Because unlike Natsu, Laxus was a playboy and therefore couldn't be trusted with something as precious as you," Jellal stated simply.

Lucy sighed at her pseudo-brother, knowing that he was as stubborn as Erza when it came down to protecting his friends and well… her virtue. She smiled as she watched the two older mages. After the Grand Magic Games, Lucy and her team had gone to Hisui and asked her to pardon Jellal and his team for their help during the Grand Magic Games, the Princess had been glad to help, immediately doing what was necessary. Lucy weren't exactly sure why Gray and Natsu had wanted to help, but she sussed out that it was so that Erza could finally be with the man she loved.

After finding out that Ultear was gone, the two members quickly sort out Fairy Tail and were welcomed in with open arms. Now that Lucy thought about it, the two seemed more free and happy in the last three years than she had ever seen them before. Both of them had grown so much, as had their relationship with others. Even Erza was calmer now, it seemed that all it took for Erza to freeze with embarrassment or to be tamed in general was mentions of Jellal, or the mage himself.

Lucy however, was soon dragged out of her thoughts as the guild door's burst open, Meredy and Natsu walking in, the latter grinning widely with him arms wrapped around the Maguilty Sense mage's shoulder while the former blushed wildly, albeit with a small smile. Lucy grinned at her two friends, joining in the cheers of Fairy Tail as they congratulated the newly formed couple.

Jellal glared at Natsu, conveying all he needed to in a single look as the Fire Dragon Slayer nodded in response, a silent promise between the two friends. Lucy turned to look at her own Dragon Slayer, grinning widely as he smirked at her. He turned to the new couple before turning back to her, raising his beer mug as she raised her own smoothie glass, both silently toasting the couple.

*With Minerva and Alex*

Alex stared at the book before taking a seat at the desk, mindlessly flipping through the pages before he reached a promising page. His eyes scanned the sheet, smirk widening as he took in all the information. Minerva continued staring wide-eyed, wondering just what she'd gotten into.

"You mean like the demons Zeref created?" Minerva questioned, causing Alex to let out a chuckle.

"No, I mean real demons, not the weak sort created by Zeref. The ones that used to walk on Earthland until they were exiled and put to sleep by the Gods" Alex replied as Minerva tried to process the new information.

"This is it Minerva, this is the demon we're going to resurrect. This is how we're going to get Fairy Tail back," Alex stated, causing Minerva to nod, unsure of what was going on.

He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering why she was so shocked. His gaze silently mocked her, a lazy one-sided grin on his face, as if he was waiting for her to turn around and run away. Minerva noticed his smile before she steeled herself. She had to get back at the Fairies, no matter what it took. She got up off the couch, lazily walking to the desk, her hips swaying. She leaned over his shoulder, offering a view of her cleavage as she read from the book.

"The Pillar of the Void, Sitri. Sitri was one of the seventy-two Demon Overlords that ruled one of the seventy-two capitals in the Underworld until she along with her eight brothers and sisters united Hell into nine states, each becoming a Great Demon Overlord, ruling eight of the previous capitals" Minerva read out loud, eyebrows raising.

"She sounds perfect, doesn't she Minerva? It says here that she commands a group of Reapers with the power of darkness… now that I think about it, I've heard about Sitri before… but where?" Alex questioned, staring at the ceiling

"The Demon, Mirajane of Fairy Tail. One of her Satan Soul spells includes Sitri" Minerva replied, glaring as she remembered the Grand Magic Games from almost three years ago.

"You're right. Wasn't it Titania Scarlet who mentioned that Sitri was The Demon's most powerful Satan Soul spell? This will be perfect. We could even pit the two against each other and see who's the stronger one. Minerva, I need your help in summoning her" Alex commanded, Minerva nodding as she awaited her lover's next command.

"What do you need Alex?" Minerva questioned, sitting on his desk as she stared down at him, a devilish smile upon her face.

Alex grinned, placing his hands on her legs, spreading them before standing between them. Minerva's heart pounded as she stared into his eyes while he lifted her chin up, his grin widening as he noticed her tense form.

"I need some of your magic," He whispered, his voice low, once against sending shivers down her spine.

"I… yes" Minerva replied, her hands glowing with her magic.

"Oh Minerva… that's not how I'm going to extract this magic. You see, the magic I need is one that shouldn't be in the form of a spell. It should be pure magic, the type that comes directly from your very essence" Alex responded, his grin was large as he watched her tremble in front of him. Minerva on the other hand, found it increasingly harder to breathe, the sadistic nature of her lover coming out in waves, terrifying her very being.

"Now, now, my Minerva, let's not get frightened. I just need to siphon the magic directly from your soul" Alex responded, chuckling as he stepped away from her. As soon as he walked away from her and towards his shelf, humming while looking for a particular book. Minerva let out a heavy breath, watching with wide eyes and the slightest anticipation as she awaited his next move.

"Strip" Alex stated simply, pulling a book from his shelf and flicking through it lazily. Minerva nodded before hopping off the desk. Her lover instilled fear into her heart and yet at the same time, she took some sort of sick pleasure from it. Whether he was being cold, sadistic or down right terrifying, he always turned her on. She dropped her dress, leaving her body completely bare for him.

"Found it" Alex said before turning to her, looking at her with complete disregard of her nakedness. Minerva found it off putting, she had a great body and she knew it and yet, it didn't please him as much as it should and it irked her to no end.

"Why do I need to be naked for this Alex? And why do you need magic from my soul?" Minerva questioned, staring at him in question.

"Be still Minerva. You're naked because that is when someone is most vulnerable and exposed. I need magic from your soul because in order to summon a demon, you need to make a sacrifice and not just any sacrifice. You need to sacrifice a part of your soul that contains magic power" Alex replied simply.

"Now, this isn't something I've ever tried before, but since I have no other way of finding a spell to awaken Sitri from her slumber, I am going to have to combine these two spells together. Hopefully, I won't kill you" Alex replied, although the masochistic smile on his face suggested that maybe he really didn't care whether she made it through the spell or not.

"Alex… are you sure this is safe. Maybe we should wait a bit longer and find a safer, less hazardous way of summoning her," Minerva questioned, fearing for her own life.

Alex's eyebrow rose before narrowing slightly, his look of concentration turning into a blank look with a small smirk and in that instant Minerva knew she was going to be punished for her insolence. He reached his hands out, grabbing her throat and easily lifting her into the air. Minerva's eyes widened as she clawed at his hands, his hand constricting around her throat, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.

"Be quiet Minerva. We wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we? Also, you do not command me, I am very lenient with you, but do not think for a minute that you are equal to me" Alex stated, his voice low and commanding.

Minerva nodded quickly and he let out a devilish smile, letting her go. She fell to the floor in a heap, gasping for air as he continued reading both the Key of Solomon and other book. He turned to her, pleasure running through his veins as he took in her helpless form.

"Get up, it's time for the summoning" Alex informed. Minerva stood up quickly, once again standing in front of him naked; she stood tall despite being terrified. She watched as Alex withdrew a blade. He took her hand in his and cut an incision in her palm, his eyes shining at he watched the red liquid spill from her hands.

"Keep your hand out while I draw the symbols necessary" Alex stated before dipping his fingers in the liquid before drawing strange symbols on her breasts all the way down to her abdomen.

"I must say Minerva, you look simply exquisite with this blood marking you" Alex said lazily, placing some of her blood on her throat and licking it off before nipping at her throat, causing her eyes to flutter shut, barely holding in the moan. Once he was done marking her with the appropriate symbols he stood back to take in his artwork before nodding to himself, licking his lips at the red against her tan skin.

"Divine" he whispered before tearing a page from the book of Solomon and placing it down in front of her.

"Oh and despite the pain, do try and stay still. Although, you can scream as much as you want" Alex said with twisted delight, causing Minerva's hands to begin trembling as he started chanting the spell

"I, descendant of Demon Prince Alloces, sacrifice the pure magic in this soul to summon one of the Great Demon Overlord, one of the Nine Pillars of Hell. I beckon you to my side at once, so that once again you may rule over the earth. Awaken from your slumber; I call upon Sitri, the Pillar of the Void" Alex began spelling.

Minerva eye's widened as she felt the very core of her chest begin to ache, the pain spreading all over her body before it gathered into a very small area, intensifying the pain. She tried to stay still, however it got increasingly harder to do so. She felt something grip at her magic, pinching and pulling it from her core.

The pain was unbearable; it felt as if many tiny needles were stabbing her, over and over again. Suddenly she felt the pain dissipate only to turn into a hot burning feeling that blazed in her chest as she felt some of her magic being ripped away from her. Her body began to fight, pulling at the magic, trying to jerk it back into her soul, increasing the pain.

However, it seemed that the magic being siphoned wasn't enough and once again the pain of the needles entered her very being. Minerva couldn't handle it anymore; she let out a piercing scream, as more of the magic from her soul was ripped out of her very essence. She continued screaming as the pain escalated, more and more of her magic being siphoned out of the depths of her body.

Finally she felt the last ties to her magic being cut, the hidden force yanking the magic out of her soul and into the space above the ripped page of the book. The pain finally left her, turning into a dull ache as she fell to the floor, breathing rapidly and deeply. She felt weak, impossibly so, as if she had been drained of her very being, which in a way she had.

Alex watched with sadistic pleasure at Minerva's crumpled floor before he began smirking as the magic of her soul began reacting with the ripped page. He watched as the paper caught fire, burning to ash and causing a large black magic seal to emerge from the ground. He watched in anticipation as a large glowing orb emerged from the magic seal, black chains wrapped around the white sphere, emitting an eerie glow. The globe almost resembled a moon. Suddenly, the chains unlocked, rapidly unwrapping from the sphere.

The globe rose higher in the air, spinning slowly, unnervingly before a small crack appeared in the shell. The cracks grew large, the sound getting louder and louder until the orb shattered with a blinding light. Suddenly, the air grew thick, tension rising until an immense magic power began radiating off of the sphere.

The power was too heavy for Alex to handle, sending him to the floor as he struggled to continue watch the awakening of the demon, despite the light almost blinding him. The power then dropped, the light dissolving into darkness. Alex watched in eagerness, his eyes widening in delight as he took in the form of a woman curled up in the fetal position.

The woman uncurled from around herself before rotating so that she was hovering in mid air above the two mages. Alex watched as she opened her eyes slowly, staring right into his eyes. The magic seal from under her disappeared and she floated back down to the ground, a small smirk on her face as she looked at the male in front of her. Alex let out his own smirk as his eyes trailed slowly down her figure, taking in the sight of her.

She had thigh length white hair that curled at the ends and glowed pink, almost as if her hair was constantly basking in moonlight. She had two black pointed horns and piercing blue eyes, a black tail swishing from behind her. She was petite, decked in a black leotard that barely covered her body. The leotard was cut around the center, black netting pulling the two pieces together. She wore a white dress/jacket over the leotard. Her hands were dressed in fingerless black and white gloves with matching shin high boots and netted stockings. **(A/N: Link for Sitri is on my profile)**

"Are you the idiot who summoned me?" Sitri questioned, staring down at Alex.

"It was indeed I, Mistress" Alex replied, bowing in front of her, his head bent.

"Tch, at least you managed to do it" Sitri replied before turning to look at a naked Minerva.

"You. How dare you present yourself in front of me in such a fashion? Get some clothes on" Sitri barked, causing Minerva to quickly get off the floor and stagger to put her dress back on. She still felt weak, but the fear of what the demon would do to her overpowered her tiredness.

"Why are you quaking like a fool? Unless, it was you, whose soul magic allowed me to be summoned," Sitri said, more to herself than anything.

Sitri's eyebrows rose as she took in Minerva's before her eyes turned red, taking in Minerva's form. Once she was done with her inspection she let out a small smirk before turning back to Alex, noting that part of Minerva's soul had in fact been ripped out in order to summon her.

"Smart move. Usually when I'm being summoned, people use themselves as the sacrifice and cannot handle the power needed to pull me out. You however figured out a way to do it. I'm impressed that even human trash like you could accomplish such a feat. Now, for what reason have you summoned me?" Sitri questioned, snapping her fingers as a large throne appeared in the room. She walked over to the throne, throwing herself down on it and flinging her legs over the armrest, her head resting against the palm of her hand, her elbow resting on the opposite armrest as she looked at the two mages lazily.

"Forgive me Mistress for awakening you from your slumber. I am Alexander II Kaiser Alloces, descendant of the Demon Prince Alloces and this is my mage servant, Minerva Orlando. I have summoned you so that demons can once more rule Earthland as Kings and Queens" Alex responded, once again on one knee in front of her.

"I see. You may have Alloces's name, but you are only a half demon are you not? I cannot sense a lot of demonic energy coming from you" Sitri responded causing Alex to nod.

"Alloces is my grandfather, I was born to his daughter and to a human, so I am only partly demon" Alexander revealed, causing Minerva to stiffen with shock.

"I see, but tell me, why would I want to rule Earthland when I already rule Sitria, one of the nine great states of Hell?" Sitri questioned, boredom in her voice.

"Mistress, Earthland is now full of promise, magic is freely accepted in this world. Also, unlike the world that you once knew, the Gods no longer exist. They had faded from existence and so; there is no one who is on par to stop you from taking over Earthland again. Earthland had also prospered since your slumber; there are many powerful kingdoms that you could rule in addition to Hell. Also, since your slumber, the Underworld has fallen to ruin, demons have been running rampant without a leader. There is no kingdom of Sitria anymore" Alex replied causing Sitri to growl

"You are indeed correct, due to our slumber and imprisonment by those stupid Gods, Hell is facing ruin as all lesser demons run rampant. Furthermore, Alloces may not be one of the Great Overlords, but he still remains a Prince and General of Hell, so your power could be helpful. Plus, with those Gods out of the way, nothing will stop us from taking over Earthland. I accept your offer. However, I will not rule without my brothers and sisters. You will ensure that they are also awakened from their slumber" Sitri commanded causing the mages to frown in response.

"Why do we need to awaken your siblings? Do you not want to rule all Earthland by yourself?" Alex questioned causing Sitri to sigh in agitation.

"Do not be a fool Alexander, you may be part demon and part trash, but do not let your filthy human blood take over your brain. I may be powerful in my own right, but my power exceeds when I am with my brothers and sisters. Besides, it's no fun without them there. And powerful as I may be, even I cannot be arrogant enough to believe I can rule a whole planet by myself. There would be too many rebellions and I would lose my place as Ruler in less than a month. Why do you think my siblings and I united all of hell under nine states rather than one? It was because it was easier to do rule with nine of us rather than just one" Sitri explained and Alex nodded before turning to leave, Minerva following him closely.

"Alexander, this place will not fit me and my siblings. You will find a place that is has a higher prestige and something more fitting for my siblings and I. Find a castle, with a Great Hall and lots of space" Sitri once more ordered, Alex nodding in answer.

"One more thing, in order to awaken my siblings, you will have to use the soul magic from the same person, or the awakening will fail" Sitri stated, a cruel smirk forming on her face at the look of fear on Minerva's face.

"But Mistress, I will not be able to survive all the summoning" Minerva said meekly, her voice harsh from all the screaming.

"I'm aware of that, but you are irrelevant to my cause. There is no way for you to be helpful" Sitri replied causing Minerva to stutter.

"Mistress, if I may cut in, Minerva can sometimes be helpful, such as cooking and cleaning. I'm sure if you allow it, she can command a group of servants for your castle and its up keeping" Alex cut in.

"Hmmm, you are correct. She could also serve as a concubine to my brothers or my generals for when they need it. Fine, I shall permit it. You may live, trash. But in order to do so, you'll need to recover from summoning me. A month from now, we will summon my brother, Lucifer and then from every month onwards, we will summon my other siblings. Now, do you have anything else to say or are you done? Your filthy presence and impure blood is nauseating me" Sitri replied, glaring at the two mages.

"I… if I may speak out of turn, Mistress" Minerva said quietly, she did not work hard all these years to be treated as a servant. She wouldn't let herself fall that low, demon or not.

"What is it trash?" Sitri questioned, examining her nails.

"If I may as so bold to ask for a higher ranking in your peerage. I can be useful and help you eliminate any scum. I am a very powerful mage, I can be very helpful in battle, especially with the nature of my magic" Minerva stated, trying to sound confident despite her hoarse voice.

"Oh? And what is the nature of your magic?" Sitri questioned, mildly piqued by the boldness of the female mage.

"I can control any space I see and do as I see fit with it. I'm sure this could come useful," Minerva almost pleaded, and once again Sitri thought through the new information.

"Hmmm… the power to control space, magic similar to that of my brother Dantalion's. I can see the perks of this yes, however, how will I find servants in order to take care of our castle?" Sitri questioned, turning her lazy gaze to Minerva.

"Fairy Tail" Minerva stated simply, watching as Alex raised an eyebrow before nodding.

"What is this Fairy Tail you speak off" Sitri questioned, her interest piqued.

"They are a guild of mages, the current strongest guild in all of Fiore. They will be problematic if not eliminated early on. They have a penchant for getting in the way of plans and saving Earthland" Minerva replied causing Sitri to raise her eyebrows in question.

"And you think these pathetic mages could pose a threat to me? A demon?" Sitri questioned, her ire growing. The walls started shaking, causing Minerva to quake with fear.

"Mistress, I feel that I should inform you that their guild was created and still contains the presence of Mavis Vermillion, the daughter of both Caelus and Asteria, two of the Gods who helped imprison you and your siblings. Therefore she could be considered a God. However, she was born on Earthland and so part of her divinity was stripped away when the Gods were erased from existence. Therefore she's actually only a demigod," Alex informed causing Sitri's eyes to widen.

"I see, even a demigod good prove to be a nuisance. Stupid Gods, it's been millennia since we fought and since our imprisonment and they are still proving to be annoying pests. Alright, we will get rid of Fairy Tail and force them to submit to our cause. Trash, since you are so adamant to prove yourself as something more than worthless, you will be in charge of eliminating the scum" Sitri said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

"By myself? I can not possibly take them all on, they have many Dragon Slayers and powerful mages" Minerva stuttered out.

"Dragon Slayers you say? Hmmmm… I didn't know they were mages who could slay dragons. They must be powerful. Fine, I will grant you access to my Reapers" Sitri said and Minerva nodded. The two mages watched as a large black magic circle formed on the floor in front of them.

"Rise, Reapers" Sitri spelled, and suddenly large numbers of different beings rose from the magic circles, forming out of shadow before one legion of Reapers stood in front of the two mages, on their knees in front of their queen.

The two mages took in the sight as the Reapers began forming. Tall creatures started forming, they couldn't tell what the creatures looked like as they were covered in a long sleeved black shirt with loose sleeves and a ripped skirt that ended by their shins, the rest of their skin covered in black bandages. They had black hoods over their heads that attached to a billowing black cape. Their faces were covered with another black cloth, leaving nothing exposed except for their glowing blue eyes. They had large scythes in their hands, tendrils of darkness floating around the weapons. Their capes were ingrained with the symbol of Sitri. All in all, they looked deadly.

"6,000 Reapers that do not feel pain and have no remorse. Cold-blooded killers, the Reapers use darkness and shadow magic. I'm sure this legion suffice in order to take down Fairy Tail?" Sitri questioned watching as Minerva and Alex took in the sight of the Reapers.

"Yes, it shall Mistress" Minerva said before bowing, however before she could leave, Sitri shot a beam of darkness towards Minerva, causing the Territory mage to fall down to the floor gasping for air.

"Just for measure, I have imbued you with some Darkness demonic magic. You should be stronger now, so hopefully you won't disappoint me," Sitri said, once again examining her nails. Minerva finally got off the floor, feeling her once weakened power return to her. She felt stronger, lighter, and invincible. She brought her hand up to her face, watching as tendrils of darkness seeped from the appendage.

"Thank you Mistress" Minerva said bowing before she left, a smirk on her face.

"Time to die Fairy Tail" Minerva said to herself, the legion of Reapers following behind her as she made her way to Fairy Tail.

* * *

So yeah, that happened. This story takes place three years after the GMG by the way and completely disregards the Tartarus arc and onwards. Check out my tumblr princess-nella . tumblr . com for any pictures of that are mentioned in my stories. I'll try and update as soon as possible!

-Nelly xo


	4. Never Give In

So here's chapter 4. I've been steadily working on my other chapters, but I've got some mock exams next week so I haven't really accomplished much, so I decided to post this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it

* * *

Never Give In

Minerva walked out into the moonlight. It was night and it would take the rest of the night for her to advance to Fairy Tail, after all, she couldn't just blindly lead the Reaper Legionnaires through main towns without causing a scene. She had to be careful, ensure that no one suspected anything.

So she had waited, waited till they would be covered by the dark of night and were able to freely travel through Fiore without raising any suspicions. Now she was going to advance with the army of Reapers and they would slaughter Fairy Tail when they least expected it.

She smirked as she triggered her newly gifted demonic powers, a pair of wings forming out of shadows, allowing her to take to the skies. Surprisingly, the Reapers followed her, as if running on thin air. The Reapers stayed silent, following her pursuit as she navigated through the skies of Fiore. She smirked to herself. Soon. Soon Fairy Tail would be nothing more than broken corpses in a broken guildhall.

*Next Day – At the Guild*

Lucy laughed along with her teammates. It seemed that nothing could ruin their day; after all, everyone in the team was finally in a relationship with their beloveds, bar Wendy of course. Although, with the looks Romeo was sending Wendy, it seemed that they would be getting together soon enough. After all, Wendy was now sixteen and Romeo was seventeen.

Lucy looked at Wendy, who wasn't the little girl she used to be. In fact, Wendy had blossomed into a beautiful young lady. The girl had honestly filled out into her figure and though she gained a few curves, she didn't gain as many as she wanted, causing the young girl distress, especially after the female guild members noted that Lucy's bust had done the impossible and grown even larger than it had already been.

Despite that, Wendy was still beautiful in the Celestial Mage's eyes. She was a lot taller now, just slightly shorter than Lucy with hair that reached her hips, blue bangs floating in her face. Her face had also mellowed out, looking more mature with her soft jawline and long throat. She now wore sleeveless dresses that reached her mid thighs along with thigh high socks and boots. She also usually had her blue armbands around them that stored some extra magical energy in case she needed to heal anyone after a hard battle or job. Lucy had no idea where she got the idea from, but it certainly came in handy on their missions.

Lucy watched her guild mates quietly, smiling softly at the longing looks Wendy and Romeo sent each other when they believed no one was watching them. Finally, taking pity on the two younger members of her guild, she got up, excusing herself as went up to Romeo, dragging him away from the guild.

"What is it Lucy-nee?" Romeo questioned, his voice a deeper than it had been three years ago.

She glanced up at the mage, wondering when he had grown taller than her. Romeo had also changed, and boy was the change drastic. He was as tall as Natsu now, with shaggy hair and a prominent jawline. Much to Wendy's pleasure, Romeo had also filled out, and was as lean and muscular as Natsu. He still dressed similar to Natsu however; the one thing that hadn't changed about Romeo over the years, was his unhindered admiration for the Fire Dragon Slayer. Romeo currently had an orange scarf wrapped around his neck with a similar jacket in red to the Salamander, showcasing his defined abs.

"Romeo, I was just wondering if you were going to ask Wendy out anytime soon" Lucy asked casually, causing the Fire Mage to stiffen, a blush forming on his face.

"You can tell me you know, I'll try and help you anyway I can" Lucy said, she hated playing matchmaker, memories of Mira trying to force her and Gray or Natsu together still sending shivers down her spine. After all, they were both like brothers to her and it just seemed wrong. However in order to ensure the happiness of one of her favourite team members, she was not above meddling in their relationships.

"I don't know what you're talking about Lucy-nee" Romeo replied, his blush deepening as Lucy gave him a knowing look.

"I've seen the looks between the two of you, so either there's already something going on, or there will be something going on. So which one is it?" Lucy questioned, sending him an encouraging smile.

"I… I really like her, but I don't know how she feels about me" Romeo replied finally, sighing as he was forced to admit something he didn't want to.

"I think you should ask her out on a date, because I know for a fact that she likes you too. She's just too shy to ask you out" Lucy encouraged, causing Romeo to stare at her wide-eyed, unsure of what to say to the Celestial Mage.

"I, do you think she'll say yes?" Romeo questioned finally, his tone hesitant as he stared at the guild doors.

"Without a doubt. Besides, you look up to Natsu, right? And he finally admitted how he feels for Meredy and now look at them. So take a page from his book and ask Wendy out" Lucy replied cheerily, Romeo looked thoughtful for a while before nodding.

He smiled brightly at Lucy before unexpectedly wrapping his arms around her body, giving her a tight hug. Lucy froze, completely caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. However, after a few seconds, she smiled brightly, hugging the boy back.

"Thank you Lucy-nee" Romeo said before he walked back to the guild.

"Hey! I'm sure I don't have to say this to you, but if you hurt her, I'll personally set both Virgo and Loke on you" Lucy said, causing Romeo to stiffen before nodding.

"I would never hurt her, but should I, I give you permission to do so. Although I have a feeling it'll be your whole team, the Thunder Legion and Gajeel after my head if anything goes wrong," Romeo replied, suddenly very terrified for his life.

"You're probably right, but don't worry. Unless you actually hurt her, I'll keep them in line for you" Lucy replied, winking as she did so, causing the two mages to laugh.

"So, how about we go in and get you your girl?" Lucy questioned, skipping to him and smiling brightly as he dragged her back inside.

Romeo nodded and followed Lucy into the guild, the latter sitting herself back down at her team's table, ensuring that she was close to Jellal, Gajeel and Laxus in the event that anything should happen to the young Fire Mage. Romeo however, looked distressed as he walked up to their table. The guild suddenly quietening down while they watched with bated breath as Romeo silently approached the table. Wendy wondered what was going on until Romeo stood in front of her.

She sent him a shy smile, her cheeks flushing as she took in the sight of the tall Fire Mage that she'd been crushing on for years, wondering why he was at her table of all places. Not that he wasn't welcome. However, despite being close with all her teammates, recently he had been distant to them, sending them worried glances, especially the males. If she didn't know any better, and she did, she would almost say he was scared of something. She just didn't know what. She watched as he took a deep breath before turning to Lucy, who nodded at him with her thumbs up, sending waves of confusion through the Sky Maiden.

"Wendy… umm…. Will you- I mean would you like to… I don't know, go out with me sometime? Maybe? Like for ice cream? Or cake if you don't like ice cream! And if you don't like cake, then it doesn't need to be anything sweet! We can always go for dinner…" Romeo stuttered out, panicking at the end, a light blush on his tan face.

Wendy stared at him wide-eyed, unsure of what to say, wondering if she was dreaming. She stared at him for a long time, completely shocked and unable to respond. Romeo watched, waited before his shoulders started to droop. He began to turn around, taking her silence as rejection until she grabbed his hand, stopping him from walking away. He stared at their hands that were entwined, before looking at her expectantly, wide eyed and hopeful.

"Umm… Dinner sounds lovely, I'd prefer it instead of ice cream… or cake," Wendy said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she smiled at him, a light blush on her face.

"Yeah, sure. Anything you want" Romeo replied, a blush forming on his face too.

Suddenly, cheers of each guild member, Mira's squealing and Macao's cries being the loudest from all the other guild members cut the silence of the guild. Romeo grinned before leaning down to peck Wendy on the cheek. Carla looked at her friend, smiling at the happy look on the Sky Maiden's face.

"So you finally got your Prince Charming huh?" Carla muttered to herself, shaking her head, the smile still gracing her face.

She quietly turned to Happy who was also cheering, watching him from the corner of her eyes. The blue Exceed looked at Carla, causing the latter to turn away quickly, her own cheeks flushing pink as Happy snickered at her.

"ROMEO!" Jellal, Gajeel and Laxus yelled, jumping from their seats as they watched Romeo and Wendy interact.

However, before they could cause any damage, Erza, Lucy and Levy quickly sprung into action, containing their men and effectively stopping them from doing any damage to the young male.

"Damn it Sparkles, let me go, I need to make sure the boy doesn't steal her innocence" Laxus yelled, trying to get Lucy to let him go.

"Lightning Boy is right, Erza! I have to protect Wendy's virtue" Jellal piped in.

"Damn it Shrimp, you need to let go! I know what boys at his age are thinking! I'll be damned if he taints her with his boy germs" Gajeel yelled, and all three girls sighed before hitting their respective males on the head.

Suddenly, in the midst of all the chaos, the guild doors burst open, startling everyone as their attention turned to the door. Their eyes widened as they realised exactly who was standing in the doorway, causing many of the guild member's to narrow their eyes.

"What do you want Minerva?" Laxus questioned, standing up to his full height as he pulled Lucy closer to him, images of the Grand Magic Games from three years ago flashing through his mind.

"I've come here for revenge against you pathetic Fairies. I still can't believe that Titania Erza beat me in a fair fight. Besides, I do believe that me and the Blonde Bimbo have some unfinished business, I'd absolutely love to finish her off" Minerva threatened, a cruel smile on her face, causing the entirety of Fairy Tail to growl at her words.

"If you think we're letting you any where near Lucy, you've got another thing coming" Cana called out, getting her cards ready for a battle.

"Now how is this fair? A whole guild against one mage, hmmm... I know, let's even out the odds, in my favour of course" Minerva stated, letting out a vicious grin as the Reapers started flocking to her side.

The whole guild stilled, wondering what they were seeing. The things looked like the shades that Jose had created during the Phantom Lord's guild war. However, these creatures looked deadlier, more ruthless and instilled fear in the hearts of every one of the mages of Fairy Tail.

"What the hell are those?" Gray questioned, getting ready to use his Ice Make magic in order to protect his guild.

"Oh these? These creatures are known as Reapers, they're here to help me slaughter and eliminate every single one of you" Minerva said, cackling evilly.

"We'll take them down and we'll take you down! YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING LUCY OR THIS GUILD" Natsu yelled, his fists blazing as he moved to attack the Reapers.

Natsu's words seemed to act as a catalyst, sending all the mages raring to go. The Fairy Tail mages started running, yelling out different spells as the Reapers started flooding in. Lucy quickly summoned Loke and Sagittarius as well as pulling out her whip, trying to eliminate as many reapers as possible.

Erza equipped into her Heavenly Wheel's Armour and attacking multitudes of Reapers at once, trying to get to Minerva as soon as she could, not wanting to delay any more time. She glared at the Territory mage who had chosen to stay next to the guild doors, watching as the Fairy Tail mages tried in vain to fight the creatures.

Laxus and Jellal were back to back, fighting off as many of the creatures as they could, trying to block any injuries from the shadow and darkness magic as well as the swings of their scythes. Jellal used his Meteor body while Laxus kept sending large thunderbolts towards the Reapers.

Wendy and Romeo similarly were side by side, Wendy using her Sky Dragon Slaying Magic and Romeo using his own Fire Magic to clear out the Reapers while Romeo stuck to following Wendy, who in turn was desperately trying to boost anyone's magic, as well as healing any damage caused by the Reapers, Romeo trying to protect her from any damage while she was healing people.

Meredy had however; quickly found out that she was rather useless in this battle, her Maguilty Sense magic doing nothing to the dead and unfeeling Reapers, causing her to be stuck beside Natsu, who fought to protect not only his guild, but also his best friend and his girlfriend.

Levy and Gajeel were working together, Levy sending different scripts to different Dragon Slayer's in order to replenish their magic stores and at the same time fighting on different attacks from the Reapers as Gajeel sent Dragon Roars and Clubs in order to save anyone he could from the attacks of the Reapers. Lily had taken on his battle form, fighting two or three Reapers at a time, their weapons clashing.

"What the hell is up with these creatures? We keep destroying them only for more to show up" Gray yelled from beside Bickslow.

"I CAN'T CONTROL THEM! THEY HAVE NO SOULS" Bickslow yelled.

"No souls! No souls!" Bickslow's babies copied.

"They are not man!" Elfman said as he turned into Beast Soul, Mira already in her Satan Soul, trying to use her demon magic in order to command some Reapers onto their side.

"I can't seem to control them either" Mira yelled, sending out beams of darkness to attack the Reapers.

"You can try to fight them all you want, but there are 6,000 of them to fight and less than hundred of you. So tell me, how are you going to win?" Minerva mocked for the side, laughing at the futile battle in front of her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lucy yelled, sending out her Fleuve D'étoiles and slamming it into as many Reapers as she could.

"Oh nothing, I just want to make sure scum like you are gone from this world," Minerva jeered.

Suddenly, Erza pushed through the Reapers, reequipping into her Purgatory Armor and moving to attack Minerva. Minerva saw what was coming and stopped it with her hand, causing Erza's eyes to widen.

"Oh come now, did you think that I would come here and let you beat me again?" Minerva questioned, shattering Erza's sword with her bare hands.

Erza equipped into her Black Wing Armor, flying in the air and trying to attack from the ceiling. However, Minerva activated her own magic power, growing her wings and striking at Erza with claws made of shadow, sending the Knight flying into the guild wall.

"ERZA" Jellal yelled, trying to get to his girlfriend's side.

"Oh Erza, I should probably tell you that I have demonic powers now" Minerva said lazily, smiling cruelly at the mage.

"What?" Fairy Tail yelled, the mages growing increasingly tired at the seemingly unending army of Reapers.

"Oh yes, actually I should probably thank Team Natsu for this new power, after all, you're the one who made it possible for me to get it" Minerva jeered, causing the members of Team Natsu to stiffen.

"What are you talking about? WE NEVER DID ANYTHING LIKE THAT" Wendy yelled, sending a Sky Dragon Roar at the Reapers in front of her.

"Oh that's right, you don't know. Here, let me show you" Minerva said, letting out a half smirk before transforming into the maid from the client's house.

"YOU" The Team yelled, wondering what was going on.

"So you do remember me. You see, the 'client' and I were working together to get the Lemegeton in our hands. However, we couldn't access it ourselves because it was sealed in the Temple of Angeloi, or the Temple of Angels" Minerva responded, causing the mages from the team to stiffen.

"What's so important about the book?" Mira questioned, as she, Lisanna and Elfman continued fighting.

"You see, the Lemegeton is also known as the Key of Solomon" Minerva responded.

"No" Levy yelled, eyes widening at the new information.

"What's so special about the book Levy?" Natsu yelled, sending a Fire Dragon Fist to the Reapers advancing on him and Meredy.

"It's a book that has the ability to summon demons. Not just any demons either, the true blooded ones who were born as demon, unlike the ones Zeref created. They are much more powerful and are said to be on the same level as the Gods" Levy yelled out, causing the guild mages to panic.

"BUT HOW DID YOU GET IT? IT WAS PROTECTED! ONLY HOLY BEINGS SUCH AS ANGELS OR GODS CAN TOUCH THE BOOKS" Levy yelled, questioning Minerva.

Erza got up, hearing the new information. She turned to Mira, the two nodding to each other before glaring at Minerva. They jumped up, taking to the air and attacking Minerva at the same time, trying to overpower the demonic mage.

"You're right. Only Angels or Gods can touch the book, however there was a loophole you see. It doesn't just have to be a God or Angel, it could be anyone with a link to the Heavens and that is where you're precious Celestial Mage comes in" Minerva responded.

Lucy's eyes widened, her whole body paralyzed as she took in the new information, all of the pieces clicking together. Her heart beat wildly, the thumping growing increasingly louder in her ears. Minerva noticed her panic, causing her to let out a loud laugh.

"Oh, you've made the link. You're quite right; this whole mess is indeed your fault. You see, you're a Celestial Mage, someone with ties to the Heavens and in turn holy magic. That is why you could touch the book and then you handed it straight to us without a second thought. And here I thought that you were smart" Minerva mocked, Lucy's heart dropping as her worst fears came true.

She had, inadvertently caused the downfall of her own guild.

"Now we've summoned Sitri, the Pillar of the Void and she imbued some of her power into me. You've seen The Demon's Satan Soul Sitri, now imagine the real thing," Minerva continued, causing Mira to once again let out a frustrated yell before attacking with more force.

"What do you plan on doing?" Cana yelled, she was already exhausted and looking around, so were her other guild mates, she knew they couldn't hold out for much longer.

"Mavis help us all," Lisanna prayed quietly, watching as the Reapers began to overpower the tired mages.

"We're going to awaken the last eight of the nine Great Pillars and then we're going to take over Fiore and all of Earthland. This planet will plunge into a new Era, with demons ruling over the world and me as their right hand man. But first, I need to eliminate you pests" Minerva stated.

"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY DO THAT! THIS WORLD WILL TURN TO DUST AND CHAOS WILL RULE OVER" Levy screamed, she so desperately wanted to replenish the Dragon Slayer's magic, but she was out of magic herself.

"WE NEED MASTER MAKAROV" Erza yelled, panting as she once again reequipped into another armor, Mira and her still tag teaming the mage.

"He's out for a guild master's convention! There's no way we can win this" Jet yelled, him and Droy trying to protect an exhausted Levy.

"I started this. It's all my fault" Lucy whispered, falling to her floor as she felt he magic drain dry. Sagittarius and Loke looked at her in alarm, screaming her name as they disappeared back to the Celestial Realm.

The Reapers saw their opportunity, advancing on the defenseless blonde who lay in a helpless heap on the floor, staring blankly at the guild walls. Minerva cackled, watching as the Reapers flew over to the blonde, however, before they could attack, Laxus let out a large roar, activating his Dragon Force, power radiating off of him.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND" He roared, a large dragon's roar soaring out of his mouth.

"Get up Sparkles, none of this is your fault! No one blames you! You didn't know" Laxus yelled, fighting the Reapers as he tried to get his girlfriend to reignite her will to fight.

"Yeah Luce! If anything, it's all our faults" Natsu yelled.

"Come on Lucy! Don't let them win" Meredy screamed.

Lucy heard her friend's yells, however she was just so exhausted. She couldn't find in herself to stand up and she definitely didn't have any magic to summon any more spirits, even with her Second Origin, but as Lucy watched her friends fight for their guild and their lives, she knew that there was something she had to do.

"Enough, all of you are exhausted. It's time to die" Minerva called out.

Lucy's heart stopped as she watched more Reapers sweep in, alarming the guild members who believed that they were gaining the upper hand. Lucy watched as her friends quickly fell down, she couldn't believe that this was the end. No, it wasn't. She wouldn't let this be the end. This was Fairy Tail, the only place she was truly accepted and the only place she could truly call a home. This was where she had found her family and the only place that she would fight for, no matter what.

"NO! FIGHT! YOU HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING! THIS IS OUR GUILD. THIS IS OUR HOME. DON'T GIVE UP NOW," Lucy yelled, staggering up to her feat despite her fatigue.

"Lucy" Cana whispered, watching as her friend got up.

"WE CAN'T LET THEM WIN! FAIRY TAIL NEVER GIVES UP! THAT'S WHO WE ARE! IF WE GO DOWN NOW, WE GO DOWN FIGHTING," Lucy yelled, drawing out her ordinary whip. She may not have had any magic power left, but that didn't mean she couldn't continue fighting.

"Tch, you're damn right Sparkles" Laxus muttered, smiling at his girlfriend in pride. The guild members all stood up, a defiant look on their face as they stared at their enemies.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how many Reapers you bring. We're Fairy Tail and we'll stop you. You can raise as many Demons or Reapers as you want. We'll fight them all and we will stop you" Lucy called out, staring at Minerva, a look of rebellion on everyone's faces as they nodded at Lucy's words.

"We won't let this guild fall," Natsu yelled.

"This is our home, we won't go down without a fight" Erza yelled, summoning more swords to her side.

"We've always had faith in our guild" Romeo and Wendy shouted.

"It doesn't matter how many Reapers you have, Fairy Tail will always prevail" Freed called, taking his place beside Laxus.

"A real Fairy never gives up," Evergreen said, panting as she smiled.

"We'll never stop fighting, because this is Fairy Tail" Laxus completed, standing at the center, Lucy beside him and their respective teams to the side, the rest of the members gathering behind them.

"Your arrogance will only get you killed. You think the power of feelings exists? It doesn't, it's time for this to end, I have grown tired with your foolishness," Minerva called out, sending the Reapers on the final attack.

"Wait, what's this?" Cana called out, staring at her arm in surprise.

She watched as a large red tattoo appeared on her arm. She continued staring before gathering her wits, sending a silent prayer of thanks to their first guild master for hearing their prayers.

"I don't think we will. It's time for you to leave Minerva" Cana called, smirking at the Demonic Mage.

"What are you smirking at? You will all die here, you and your guild" Minerva called, wondering what was going on.

"Didn't you hear any of what we just said? We're Fairy Tail and we won't be brought down so easily. We'll take you down, but for now, it's time for you to LEAVE. OUR. GUILD" Cana yelled out, running towards the front, standing in between the Reapers and her nakama.

"CANA GET BACK HERE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING" Gray called out as he moved to grab his girlfriend back, only to be stopped by Lucy, who had noticed Cana's glowing arm. Gray stared incredulously at Lucy, before ripping out of her grip and running towards Cana, only to be stopped by the magic radiating off his girlfriend.

"Gather! O river of light that's guided by the fairies! Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil!" Cana started spelling, her arm glowing golden as a spear of light surrounded her.

The Fairy Tail guild members watched in surprise as the power expelled from Cana, they're eyes widening in shock as they realized what was going on. They all let out large smiles, knowing that the founder of their guild was always watching them.

"GO ON CANA, YOU CAN DO IT" The guild began cheering, Minerva staring in shock at the bright light.

"IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO SEE WHAT FAIRY TAIL IS MADE OFF" The Erza and Mira screamed, watching as Cana completed the spell.

"DO IT CANA" Lucy and Meredy called.

"FAIRY GLITTER" Cana spelled, sending the light towards the Reapers.

Fairy Tail watched in awe as Cana's hair whipped around her, the spear of light shooting into the sky before disappearing, only to appear as a large circle of light that went spiraling towards Minerva and the Reapers. Minerva's eyes widened as the Reapers started screeching, the radiant holy light mercilessly rejecting all of them. The light was too bright, the Reapers began dispelling into thin air, high pitched, shrill screams following through the air as they were banished.

Minerva quickly turned around, calling forth her wings and flying away before she could be caught in between the spell. She began flying away, knowing that she had to get back to Sitri and Alex before Fairy Tail could catch her. Although, she was literally walking into the Devil's Den, especially since she hadn't managed to eliminate the Fairy Tail guild.

Meanwhile, Fairy Tail began cheering at their victory, only to be stopped by Cana dropping to the floor from exerting too much magic at once. Gray yelled her name, catching her before she could hit the floor.

"We don't have time to cheer" Lucy muttered, causing the cheers to stop as they looked at her in incredulity.

"As much as we like to think we're invincible, we could barely fight Minerva and her Reapers, so what happens when an actual Demon, not to mention nine of them attack us? We won't stand a chance… all hope is lost. There's no way to stop this. We may have won this battle, but we've lost the war. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" Lucy cried, falling to the floor in a fit of sobs.

"Luce…" Natsu said, trying to comfort her, only for her to push her away.

"NO! Don't you see! Because of me Fiore and all of Earthland is going to fall apart. Demons are going to take over all of Earthland. How can we even manage to fight them? We won because of a fluke! If Master Mavis hadn't given Cana Fairy Glitter, we'd all be dead. But we can't keep using the Fairy Magic to fight these creatures! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for causing this," Lucy continued, sobs wracking throughout her body.

Laxus walked over to her before dropping to the floor beside his girlfriend. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close to his chest, comforting her the only way he knew how to. Suddenly, a flash of light caught the guild's attention. They turned their gaze to Loke and Leone who had appeared in the flash, the two looking at their Spell Caster in determination.

"Loke, what are you doing here?" Erza questioned, wondering what Lucy's spirit was doing in the guild.

"You're wrong Busty" Leone replied, smirking at the mages.

"What he means is, there is a way to win this war" Loke replied, glaring at his younger brother.

* * *

Oooooooooooooh, I wonder what the way to win the war is? Who knows? (I do)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, please check out my other stories if you enjoyed this one.

Oh, and please leave a review telling me what you though of this chapter (:


	5. Modern Myth

So here's chapter 5! Wow, I've been updating quite frequently lately I guess... I hope you enjoy this chapter

* * *

A Modern Myth

Lucy stiffened against Laxus' form before turning around to stare at her two spirits, wondering what they were talking about. She stared at her spirits expectantly, waiting for them to expand on the information they were providing.

"What are you talking about Loke? What can we do?" Natsu questioned causing Leone to glare at him.

"You can't do anything. It's something only Busty can do" Leone replied, smirking as he watched Laxus' anger rise at the nickname.

"What can I do?" Lucy questioned.

"It's not that simple to explain. Before I tell you, you need to know about the history of Gods, Demons and the Celestial World" Loke mentioned, causing Lucy to nod, eyebrows furrowing.

"Centuries ago ago, there was a time when three different factions, the Gods, Demons and Dragons walked freely on Earthland among humans. During this time, human revered and worshipped the Gods, mainly the Nine Great Immortals, the Kings and Queens who ruled over the Paradise of Olympus and all the Gods present in the Paradise. The Dragons ruled over the Dragon Realm and commanded their own Dragons under the Dragon Kings. During this same time, Hell or the Underworld was split into seventy two different capitals, each ruled by one of the seventy two Demons of Hell" Loke began telling the story, all of Fairy Tail gathering around the spirit.

"After centuries though, the Demons grew restless and nine siblings, known as the Nine Pillars of Hell, fought all the Demons in the Underworld and united Hell into nine states, each state made of eight of the previous Capitals and one of the Nine Pillars ruled each of the states. The Dragons and Gods allowed this, because the Underworld was under the rule of Demons and so they could not get involved," Leone continued, sitting beside his brother as the two retold the story between themselves.

"But then, the Nine Pillars grew greedy and sought to dominate over the human world too. This was a mistake because the Human World was considered neutral territory between the three factions and so, when the Nine Pillars of Hell sought to take over the Human World, the God's decided to get involved and defend the neutral territory while the Dragon's chose not to intervene. However, this was forbidden. You see, just like the Celestial Realm has its own rules, the Gods, Dragons and Demons had their own set of conduct, and the main rule was that Gods, Dragons and Demons should never go to war with each other, especially on neutral territory as their power could destroy worlds at a time should they ever clash" Loke continued, pushing his glasses up as Fairy Tail listened with intrigue.

"The Demons and Gods were on equal footing, as the Nine Immortals and Nine Pillars both were their own rulers of their own kingdoms with magic power that no one could even comprehend and so war waged on Earthland for years, the Nine Immortals and Pillars fighting each other, one on one over and over again. That was until a strong human rose, gathering twelve of Earthland's strongest heroes in order to help the Gods in their battle. It worked and the Gods managed to subdue the Nine Pillars, putting them to sleep forever, and imprisoning them in the pages of the Book of Solomon" Leone intervened.

"They sealed this book in the Temple of Angels, a Temple that was built for the Gods and the Nine Gods placed a powerful spell on the Book of Solomon, so that only Holy Beings such as Angels or Gods could touch the book. This way no other faction, Demon or Dragon could obtain the book. The Gods had hoped that this way, the Nine Pillars would remain locked away in the Book forever, so that they could never awaken to finish what they started. That was why you Natsu could not touch the book, but Lucy could. Natsu, you are a child of a Dragon and so one of the factions that were forbidden from ever touching the book. But you Lucy, you have Celestial Magic that is directly linked to the Gods" Loke followed, causing Lucy's eyebrows to furrow, wondering what he meant by a direct link to the Gods.

"However, the mere mortals could not handle the sheer amount magic expelled from the Gods and Demons so they soon began to fade, until one of the Gods took pity on the thirteen mortals and thanked them for their loyalty and help. She didn't have the power to resurrect them from the dead, as she wasn't the God of Life and Death. Instead, she chose to place the thirteen mortals amongst the stars, as she governed the power of Celestial and Dusk magic. And so was born the Celestial Spirit World. The strongest mortal, who gathered the twelve other heroes, took place as the Spirit King and the twelve as the Zodiac. That is why Leo and the Spirit King are considered old friends by the way" Leone continued, causing Lucy to gasp in surprise, having had no idea how the Zodiac had been created.

"The Celestial Spirit King now had similar power to a God and was only considered slightly below them in terms of power. During the centuries that passed the Great War, the Spirit King had chosen to create keys that could summon the Zodiac to Earthland in order to help humans and so was born Celestial Magic. The Spirit King had also managed to place more heroes among the stars through history, until the eighty-eight constellations were formed along with the Gate Keys. This is the direct link between you and the God's Lucy; you are a Celestial Mage, which allowed you to touch the book. However, because the Gods had broken the rule of never engaging in battle with Demons or Dragons, the Gods also began to fade from existence over the centuries because of their insolence, their powers slowly draining away as they wasted to nothing but dust" Loke followed.

"Soon, the Nine Gods began to fade away, similar to how the thirteen heroes were fading. The Celestial Spirit King, remembering the kindness of the Gods and their help during the time Demons tried to enslave the human world, decided that he would repay the favour. During this time, he was more powerful than the Gods as his power hadn't faded; the Spirit King's power only growing while the God's powers faded for their disobedience. So he created nine Gate keys and stored the God's presence in those keys, returning them to the Paradise of Olympus so that they could recuperate and grow stronger again" Leone informed.

"Because the Gods were now in Celestial Spirit Keys, it meant that while they kept their status and power as Gods and Goddesses, the rules for Gods no longer applied to them and so they stopped fading, instead adopting the rules of the Celestial Realm. They still governed the same magic and ruled over Paradise of Olympus, but instead, the Celestial Realm and Paradise of Olympus merged together. Despite this, no ordinary Spirit besides the King could travel to the Paradise of Olympus in the Celestial Realm, as it was an area that only the Gods and Goddesses could walk over. They thanked the Spirit King for their help once again, stating that they too would help mortals, much like the rest of the Gate Keys should the need ever rise. However, because of the power that the Celestial Mages could wield with the power of the Gods, a deal was struck. The God keys would only contract themselves to those who was worthy of them and whose heart was not corrupt. They would only contract themselves to Mages they believed would use their power for good. And so were born the Gate keys of the Gods" Loke finished.

"Okay, but what does that have to do with anything?" Natsu questioned, unable to make the connection as to why the history lesson was needed, causing the whole guild to sweatdrop.

"Natsu, what they're trying to say is that if Lucy can find and contract the God keys, then we'll be able to stop the Demons from once more trying to take over Earthland" Levy informed, causing the guild members who hadn't made the link to cheer once again.

"However, don't be fooled into thinking it will be easy to find and contract the keys. The Spirit King has authorised this information to your guild because we are in need of their help once again. However, in the millennia that they have been Keys, they have never been wielded so no one actually knows what it takes to summon them. People have tried, but none have ever succeeded. Nevertheless, summoning them should not be taken lightly. If you do not have the power to call them, you will fade from existence before you can even comprehend that you've failed. To this day, their keys are still hidden and no one, not even the Spirit King knows where the Keys are residing. In order to contract the keys, you'll first have to find them" Leone intervened, stopping the cheers.

"I'll do it" Lucy replied, causing the guild to look at her with worried looks.

"No, I won't risk losing you. This isn't happening" Laxus replied, glaring at Lucy, waiting for her to argue.

"You will not stop me Laxus, I will do this, with or without your help" Lucy replied, causing Laxus to let out a low, dangerous growl.

"Lucy is right Laxus. I may not like it either, and I don't want to risk losing her. But from what the Spirit King has told me, it seems that the power needed to summon a God Key is equivalent to summoning all twelve of the Zodiac, or summoning the Spirit King himself" Loke interrupted, causing all the members to turn at him in shock.

"What makes you think Sparkles can do that?" Laxus growled out, not happy with the Lion's statement.

"When Lucy saved me from fading, she managed to summon not one, but every single one of the spirits she had contracted, which is a feat in itself and in turn, caused her to summon the Spirit King. That was the first clue as to how much magic Lucy had within her, let's not forget that this took place years ago, before her Second Origin had even been unlocked," Loke replied and many of the guild members gasped, Lucy had never told them exactly how she had saved Loke, only that she had and he was now contracted to her.

"The second time we've seen the true extent of Lucy's power, well not all of you, was when she managed to summon not only one or two, but all ten of her Zodiac in order to close the Eclipse Gate. That was three years ago now, and she's been training since then, so I have faith that she'll be able to summon and contract the God keys. Believe me Laxus, if I thought she was in any danger, I wouldn't be telling any of you this" Loke continued, causing the guild members to mutter in agreement.

"Besides, you only have two options here, one where there's a fifty percent chance of her making through this and saving all of Earthland. Or an option where there's no chance of her making it through this Demon's enslavement and all of Earthland falling to peril" Leone replied and once again, a chorus of agreements rose through the guild.

Laxus stared at the petite mage in his arms, well petite to him. He didn't want to lose her at all, but the spirits had made arguments that even he couldn't argue against. He sighed, holding her close, taking in her scent and trying to imagine a world without her in it. His heart hurt just thinking about it.

"I don't like any of this. But if there's a chance of us making it through this, then I'll accept. I trust you two Lion Cubs because you know the extent of her magic better than anyone else. But if she doesn't make it through this, you will be the first ones I come after" Laxus threatened, the two nodding in response, knowing that this was no time to joke about.

"Well, if Lucy fails this, then there's no hope for any of us anyway" Loke replied before bidding the guild goodbye and flashing back to the Celestial Spirit world, Leone following in tow.

"So where do we start?" Freed questioned, turning to Lucy.

"Mira, I need you to contact the other guilds, mainly Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Hell, Quatro Cerberus and Blue Pegasus, inform them about what's going on, they'll need the heads up just in case. Also, ask Hibiki if he can send us everything he has on Celestial Magic and the fabled God Keys, also Rufus and Yukino. Oh, and Orga and Chelia, they're God Slayers so maybe they know something. Laxus, I need you to contact Master Makarov and tell him about what has happened. He needs to tell the other Guild Masters. Also, ask him if he knows anything about the God Keys, or if any other Masters know about it. Erza, I need you to inform the Magic Council of what's going on, they can't be left in the dark about this. Earthland may be at war, they need to know," Lucy started commanding, before staggering to her feet. The guild members nodding, doing what they had to

"Wendy, heal everyone you can but don't exhaust yourself. Jet, go get Porlyusica, she'll need to treat anyone who sustained too much damage. Freed, Levy, and anyone else, follow me to the library, we're going to research everything we can on Celestial Magic and the keys" Lucy said before limping towards the guild library, only to be stopped by Wendy.

"Let me at least heal you first Lucy" Wendy stated, looking at the older mage in concern. Lucy nodded, standing still as Wendy worked her magic. Lucy felt her exhaustion leave her, feeling much stronger than she had before.

"Thank you Wendy, now go help anyone else" Lucy said, petting her head as she walked to the library, followed by Freed and Levy, who had also been healed by Wendy.

Following Levy, Lucy and Freed were Cana, Erza, Gray, Jellal, Meredy, Natsu, Bickslow, Evergreen, Gajeel and Laxus. She turned to her team and friends, smiling brightly before nodding and entering the library. She'd find a way to save her guild, one way or another.

*Time Skip –Hours later*

Lucy sat in a corner, mythology and Lost Magic books surrounding her in stacks as she sat with her Gale Force glasses on her face. Next to her with a similar stack were Freed and Levy, both also wearing the glasses as they flicked through the books.

"This is so boring Luce!" Natsu yelled, lying on the floor as he turned to stare at his best friend.

"You don't have to be here Natsu, you can go if you really want too" Lucy replied, placing a book down and taking another one.

"But Luce! Everyone else is here," Natsu argued, pulling a disappointed face.

"Natsu, everyone else is reading and trying to help, you don't like to read. Here, why don't you go up and ask Mira to make you something to eat, then bring us some food too" Lucy suggested, briefly looking up at her best friend before turning back to her book.

Natsu nodded, letting out a large grin at the thought of food. He turned to Meredy, pecking her on the cheek before leaving her and doing as Lucy said, Happy flying behind him.

"LUCY! I think I found something," Levy stated after ten minutes of silence.

"What is it Levy?" Lucy questioned, the rest of the mages also putting down the books as they turned to her expectantly.

"Here it talks about Greek Mythology and the God's of Olympus. Apparently, there was a mountain called Mount Olympus. Some people believe that Mount Olympus was the resting place of Gods who would celebrate there. It says that there were twelve Gods who made their home on Olympus," Levy stated, causing Lucy to frown.

"Hmmm, that is kind of helpful. It does mention Olympus but there were nine Gods, not twelve. Also, Olympus doesn't exist on Earthland" Lucy replied, frowning as she thought through the information.

"You're right..." Levy replied sighing before placing the book down and picking another one up.

"It's a shame that Yukino, Rufus, Orga, Chelia or Hibiki couldn't find anything relevant, if they had, this would have gone more smoothly," Meredy muttered, flicking through the pages.

"You're right, if only people actually knew where the Key's resting place was. It's a shame there isn't a specialist on Celestial Magic" Bickslow mumbled, earning a chorus of agreements.

"OH! IDIOT" Lucy yelled, slamming her palm into her head, causing her friends to turn to her in alarm.

"Open, Gate of the Southern Cross, Crux" Lucy called out, summoning her spirit to her side.

"Guys, this is Grampa Crux, he's a Specialist on Celestial Magic" Lucy said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head as her guild mates sweat dropped.

"Grampa Crux, I need to know everything you know on the God Keys, any legends or information, even if you know where they are or legends about where they are" Lucy said, and the spirit nodded, before falling asleep.

"Alright, then let's keep up the research and if Grampa Crux finds anything, he'll tell us" Lucy replied, her group nodding before setting back to work.

*With Sitri, Minerva and Alex*

"YOU FOOL! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST" Sitri yelled, backhanding Minerva, sending the mage flying through the air.

"I'm sorry Mistress, but we… the Reaper's were winning, until one of the Fairies used a powerful spell, it managed to dispel every single one of the Reapers, I had to get away to inform you of what was going on" Minerva said, gripping at her swollen cheek.

"What? What spell? There can't be something powerful enough to dispel a legion of Reapers, what are these lies that you are spewing. Only Gods have the power to do something like that," Sitri responded, glaring at the mage on the floor.

"It's true! I wouldn't lie to you Mistress! It was something called Fairy Glitter!" Minerva responded, trying to get the demon to see her way.

"Alexander, what is she talking about? Does a spell like that exist?" Sitri questioned, turning to the half demon.

"It's true, that spell does exist. It is one of the three great Fairy Magic spells of Fairy Tail, said to be the most powerful spells in all of history. Master Mavis, their founder and the demigod created them. They're all based on the light from the sun, stars and moon and are said to banish all evil or any foes of Fairy Tail, only those who bear the Fairy Tail insignia and those who ally themselves with the guild are immune from the harsh light. It can only be used by someone with great magical power and the spell is personally gifted to a Fairy Tail mage by the founder herself in times of great need," Alexander responded, causing Sitri to let out a glare.

"Created by that demigod huh? I can see why it would have so much power and draw magic from the sun, stars and sky, especially if she's a descendant of those idiot Gods Asteria and Caelus. Alright Trash, even you wouldn't stand a chance against that, despite the magic I graciously gifted you and the legion of Reapers. We will resurrect my brother Lucifer and then attack again in the month" Sitri responded, taking a seat on her throne again.

"Mistress, why not now when they are weakened?" Alex questioned, wondering why she wasn't thinking this through.

"Those stupid Gods did something and so without my brothers and sisters I am greatly weakened. Between conjuring my throne, summoning a legion of Reapers and imbuing the Trash over there with demonic magic, I have drained myself of all magic until another of my siblings wakes, which is why we'll attack in a month's time" Sitri responded, scowling at the two mages.

"I see, we'll do as you say Mistress" Alex responded before grabbing Minerva by the arm and dragging her out of the office.

"Before you go, I still need that castle and those servants. I will not continue living like a peasant, arrange new living quarters for me soon Alexander, or you will both pay dearly" Sitri called, the two mages nodding before bowing and exiting out the room, leaving Sitri alone.

"Damn Fairy Tail, damn demigod and damn those stupid Gods for weakening my powers so much" Sitri said to herself, frustrated with the delay in her plans.

"Soon, we shall complete what we started all those millennia ago my siblings" Sitri said once again, smirking to herself.

*Back at the Guild*

"HYAH!" Crux yelled, waking up and startling the group in the library.

"Grampa Crux! What did you find?" Lucy questioned, staring at her spirit in question.

"Miss Lucy, there is not much in Celestial History on the God Keys, I'm sure you know of how they came to be. Leo and Leone mentioned that they had already told you that. However, apart from that, there is only one legend in all of our history that depicts the resting place of the keys. The rest is only about the resting place of the Gods themselves," Crux informed, Lucy growing more intrigued.

"Wait, what's the different between the resting place of the Gods and the resting place of the keys?" Meredy questioned.

"There is a distinct difference. For example, the resting place of the Gate Keys are Earthland and they can be anywhere on Earthland, from Fiore to Pergrande. However, the resting places of the spirits themselves are the Celestial Realm. That is why the legend Levy found about Mount Olympus was irrelevant, because we know that the Gods are in the Paradise of Olympus, what we need to know is the resting place of their keys on Earthland" Lucy informed, causing both Levy and Freed to 'ooh' and 'ahh' at the information, basking in the knowledge.

"You're really weird Levy, maybe you should stop hanging around Luce so much, same goes for you Freed" Natsu said, staring at them weirdly as they awed at the information.

"He's right Shrimp" Gajeel said, the Thunder Legion nodding solemnly at their member and Script mage.

"Shut up. Now, Crux, what did you find out?" Laxus questioned, throwing books at Natsu, Gajeel, Bickslow and Evergreen's heads as he did so.

"Legend states that when the Spirit King created the Gate Keys for the Gods, he used precious gems and metals from a Land of Jewels. After that, he cast the essence or 'Soul Magic' of the Gods into the keys, enabling them to be summoned as Spirits. After that, it is said that while the keys were placed on the Sky Islands of Earthland for safekeeping, the keys themselves were actually being held up in the Paradise of Olympus, as no mortal or Spirit can travel there directly, ensuring that only the truly worthy of Celestial Mages were able to access the keys. Legend also states that the pathway to obtain the Keys are on the Sky Islands themselves, in a temple where the Ancient Magic of the Stars was first revealed to humans and where Celestial Magic is at its strongest, being the very core of the temple" Crux informed, the mages listening closely.

"WAIT! MY BRAIN! That's too confusing old man!" Natsu yelled, holding onto his brain as he tried to process the information.

"Of course it would hurt your brain. Do you even have one? I'm sure it must have melted by now" Gray replied, snickering to himself.

Before Natsu could retaliate, Cana and Meredy smacked them on their heads comically, causing the men to fall to the floor, holding onto the growing bumps, tears streaming down their face.

"Crux, do you have anything more? Natsu was right, the legend really is confusing. I mean how can the keys be on Earthland but in the Paradise of Olympus at the same time? Also there's no place on Earthland that is a Sky Islands or a Land of Jewels" Levy stated, both Freed and her in deep thought as they went through the legend in their heads.

"No, I'm sorry Miss Levy, but that is all the legend states" Crux responded solemnly, causing Lucy to shake her head at him.

"No it's alright Grampa Crux, thank you for your help. I'm sure we can find something from it. You can return to the Sprit Realm now" Lucy said, watching as her spirit nodded before flashing back to the Celestial Spirit world.

"Lucy, I don't think that legend is really helpful. Maybe we should return to researching with the books, possibly even asking Hibiki to check his archive once again" Jellal stated, causing Lucy to shake her head.

"No, something about the legend is ringing in my mind, but I'm not sure what. I'm almost positive that it's relevant" Lucy replied, frowning in thought.

"Sparkles, I agree with Jellal, I don't think the legends is real at all. Besides, Levy was right, I mean, I know all of Earthland from travelling and I've never heard of the Sky Islands or Land of Jewels" Laxus responded causing Lucy to glare at her boyfriend.

"I've also never heard of any mentions of a temple where the 'Ancient Magic of Stars' was first revealed, have you?" Erza questioned, looking at Lucy expectantly.

"Wait, too many questions" Lucy responded, holding onto her brain as she dropped to the floor beside Laxus, leaning against him as she thought through the legend once again, going through each detail thoroughly.

"Oi Bunny, I can almost hear you think, you're giving me a headache" Gajeel muttered causing Lucy to glare at him as Levy looked sheepish, sitting in his lap while he leaned against the wall.

However, before Lucy could berate him, she glance at the wall, eyes growing wide as she scrambled up from her place near Laxus and over to the couple. Her eyes quickly flashed across the picture frame, clogs turning in her mind as she scanned the image.

"What is it Lucy?" Evergreen questioned, wondering what had got the mage so worked up.

"That's a map, what's so great about a map?" Cana questioned, looking at Lucy in interest.

"AHA! I KNEW THE LEGEND WAS REAL," Lucy screamed finally, startling all the mages in the library.

"What do you mean Lucy?" Freed questioned as he and Levy stood to look over the Celestial mage's shoulders.

"The legend and the resting place of the keys were real. I know where we can find them. At least I hope so, I mean, the legend was shaky with the keys being in two places at once, but so far it's our best lead" Lucy said, looking at her friends in triumph.

"Okay Sparkles, but would you care to tell the rest of us what you're talking about" Laxus responded, standing up as he too looked over his girlfriend's shoulder.

Lucy moved from the people gathering around her and placed the map on the desk, everyone gathering around the desk as they too took a look at the map, wondering what had Lucy so worked up.

"Look at this map of Earthland. Between Stella, Minstrel and Desierto is the country of Joya, one that is known for its abundance and export of jewels and precious gems and metals, hence the Land of Jewels" Lucy stated, pointing the country out to her friends, who's eyes widened.

"And here, west to Minstrel and Fiore are the Caelum Islands. Caelum translated from Latin is 'Sky' hence the Sky Islands. I knew there was something about the legend that was ringing in my head. It was this. My father had many business dealings in Joya, needing lots of metal in order to build the railway, and mum used to talk about Caelum a lot; she had mentioned that it was the birthplace of Celestial Magic and where Celestial Mages used to go in order to get stronger. I can't believe I forgot about it" Lucy finished, grinning at her friends.

"So what you're saying is, that there is a large possibility that somewhere on Caelum, there is a temple dedicated to Celestial Magic" Gray questioned, Lucy nodding furiously.

"I'm certain of it. This is our best lead so far," Lucy explained, causing the group of mages to nod in response.

"So, who wants to take a trip to Caelum?" Natsu questioned, grinning at his friends.

* * *

So there we go! This story really is going to turn out to be different I guess... hmm.

Also, I'd like to let you all know that I will be participating in CoLu week this year from June 19th to June 26th. The prompts are:

Day 1: Eternity

Day 2: Excuses

Day 3: Online

Day 4: Colours

Day 5: Answers

Day 6: Raspberries

Day 7: Energy

Day 8 (Bonus): Aurora

I look forward to reading all your entries!

Anywho, leave a review if you enjoy this chapter (:


	6. The Sky Under The Sea

I'm so glad so many of you lovely people are enjoying this story! Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows. I appreciate them so very much. So here we are, chapter 6.

Hope you enjoy it (:

* * *

The Sky Under the Sea

Before anyone could answer Natsu's question, the guild's library doors burst open, causing everyone to turn around in alarm, ready to fight any threats, wondering who had entered the library. As they realised that it was none other than their guild master, the mages calmed down, their magic dissipating. Makarov entered the library, followed by Lahar and Doranbolt as well as a group of Rune Knights.

"Master Makarov, Lahar, Doranbolt" Erza said, greeting the mages as they entered.

"What's going on brats? Did you find anything on how to defeat the Demons" Makarov questioned, taking a seat at the desk.

"Loke informed us of the God keys that Lucy could contract and summon in order to help defeat the Demons. We just figured out where we can find the keys" Erza replied, the guild master nodding.

"Where are they?" He questioned once again, looking at his brats.

"The legend was sketchy at best, it claimed that the keys were on Earthland but in the Paradise of Olympus at the same time. However, the legend also stated that the keys could be on Caelum" Lucy replied, causing their master to nod again.

"Alright, listen up brats. Team Natsu, you will be escorted to Caelum by Doranbolt and the Rune Knights. The rest of you will stay back in case of another attack," Makarov commanded, causing all the mages, except Laxus, to nod in response

"I'm going with Sparkles old man" Laxus replied, causing a tick to appear on Makarov's head, however, before he could argue, Lucy spoke up.

"Laxus, as much as I want you to tag along, you have to stay here. You're the guilds strongest mage besides Gildarts, they'll need you here should there be another attack before I come back" Lucy stated, looking up at her boyfriend.

"I'm not letting you go and summon the God keys without me, you could be put in danger. I'm not risking it" Laxus replied, glaring down at his girlfriend.

"But I won't be alone. Laxus, this is just like any other job, there's always a possibility of something going wrong. But I have my team, you need to trust that I'll come back and that they'll look out for me" Lucy responded.

"Lucy is right, we need all our mages here on the front lines. We don't know when they're going to attack again. We're already at a disadvantage by sending four of our strongest" Makarov backed up, causing Laxus to growl again.

"It doesn't matter, I'm not going to leave her alone" Laxus replied, getting angrier by the second, until Makarov's fist extended, slamming into the desk as he glared at his stubborn grandson.

"ENOUGH! There is no room for arguments! We are in the middle of the war Laxus, stop being a brat and realise that there's something bigger at risk than your relationship. I understand that you want to protect your girlfriend, but she already has a team to do that. You are this guild's future master; therefore you need to learn that you can't prioritise relationships over this guild. The guild and its members come first, then relationships" Master Makarov yelled, scolding the Lightning Dragon slayer who growled in response.

"Master is right Laxus, please. I can do this, but you need to stay here and take care of the guild. In any other situation you always make sure I come first, but right now, it's the guild and what's best for our nakama that comes first, not me" Lucy replied softly, reaching up and kissing her boyfriend on his cheek.

"Laxus, we'll keep her safe" Erza responded, placing her arm on Laxus' shoulder as she tried to placate the Dragon Slayer.

"Tch, whatever" Laxus replied, brushing off Erza's arm and walking out of the library, slamming the door shut.

"I'll talk to him," Lucy said, hurrying to follow her boyfriend.

"Hurry back, we have to find those keys as soon as possible. We've arranged for a ship to take us to Caelum, it leaves in an hour and you still have to pack for the job and get to the port of Hargeon. You have ten minutes to say what you need to and pack your things. We'll meet at the train station when those ten minutes are up" Doranbolt called out, the Celestial mage nodding as she ran after her boyfriend.

"Master Makarov, I think it would be best to keep Wendy here, just in case anything happens when we're gone" Erza replied, Makarov nodding.

"That would be a wise idea, yes" Makarov responded.

"Alright, let's go and pack. You heard Doranbolt, we're meeting at the Train Station, do not be late" Erza commanded, marching out as Natsu and Gray followed her.

Lucy ran up the stairs quickly and straight up to Laxus' office. She could hear him filling out forms in frustration, slamming the drawers shut as he muttered to himself. Lucy sighed to herself, reminding herself she only had two minutes before she had to get home and pack. She steeled herself before opening the door, staring at him in worry.

"What are you doing here Lucy?" Laxus questioned in anger without looking up at her. Lucy could tell just how angry he was as you used her name rather than her nickname.

"Laxus please, look at me. You know why I can't take you with me" Lucy said, sighing as he still refused to look up.

"Whatever, I don't care. Just leave already" Laxus replied, growling as he continued filling out the forms.

"Laxus please just-" Lucy started, walking closer to her boyfriend only to be stopped by his harsh glare.

"Didn't I tell you to leave? Just get the fuck out, and shut the door on your way out" Laxus barked. Lucy stiffened at her boyfriend's words; she fought the tears that threatened to spill before nodding at him, turning around and leaving the office. She slammed the door shut, standing with her back against it and her hand up to her mouth, trying to stifle any sobs. She quickly gathered herself, wiping her eyes as she began to make her way out the guild.

"I'm sorry, but this is what's best for our guild" Lucy choked out, her voice barely a whisper. Laxus stiffened, his Dragon Slayer sense of hearing catching the words. He almost got up to apologise before sitting back down stubbornly. He'd make it up to her when she returned, but for now she had to know he wasn't happy with being told that he couldn't protect her.

*Time Skip – On the Boat*

"So, Doranbolt, do you have any idea why Caelum is called the Sky Islands?" Gray questioned, looking at the Magic Council official.

"No, I've never been there. In fact, not many people do know why Caelum is referred to as the Sky Islands. Rarely anyone visits the island because whenever people do go, they never return" Doranbolt informed, causing the mages to stiffen.

"WHAT? WE'RE DEAD! NATSU! LUSHY! LET'S GO BACK" Happy cried, tears streaming down his face as he tugged Natsu's scarf.

"There are rumours however, that the Islands float and are extremely beautiful, almost like a magical wonderland. Apparently, because of the lack of inhabitants the air is thick with magic" Doranbolt continued, causing the mages to nod as Happy continued crying.

"YOSH! I'M ALL FIRED UP" Natsu yelled, imagining a place with unlimited monsters that he could fight.

"How long till we arrive Doranbolt?" Lucy inquired, causing the mage to check his map.

"Not long, Caelum isn't very far from Fiore and Minstrel, in fact, by ship it is only an hour and a half away. The only reason there aren't frequent boats towards the island is because of the rumours that no one returns" Doranbolt replied.

"So we'll be there soon enough? Good. The quicker we get there, the quicker we can find the keys and get back" Erza replied, slightly on edge.

"Will you be alright Erza? I know the Tower was close here" Lucy whispered placing her hand gently on top of the redhead. Erza nodded, clenching her fist. Lucy nodded, still not convinced but willing to let it slide.

"I must say, I'm surprised we caught the boat on time. I didn't know you could all pack so quick, especially with how much you carried" Doranbolt mentioned, sweatdropping at the entirety of Erza's luggage.

"Well, Erza always keeps her bags packed because she's an S Class, Gray and Natsu barely carry anything as it is and I have a Maid Spirit who packs my stuff for me anyway" Lucy replied, remembering being startled by Virgo's appearance with her bags.

"I see, you all do go on S Class jobs a lot don't you? Considering that nearly your whole team is made up of S Class mages," Doranbolt replied, trying to make conversation.

The team looked at each other, nodding as they did so. In the three years from the Grand Magic Games, Lucy, Gray and Natsu had all won the S Class trials in the consecutive years. First was Natsu, with his sheer strength. Next was Gray, who had won with some intellect but mainly strength. Lucy was the last to make it, winning the trials by outsmarting her opponents, choosing to use her brains rather than non-existent brute strength. Now the only person who yet to make it to S Class on their team was Wendy, but they were sure she would achieve it soon, especially now that she had more offensive Sky Dragon Slayer spells.

"Yes, the only one who isn't an S Class right now is Wendy. We assumed that she would win either this year or the next, however, with the Demons attacking and the war, we doubt that there'll be any S Class trials for a while" Erza replied, the team frowning in response.

"Hmmm, your team is more suited for the S Class jobs because of the power and intellect needed. There's also been a decline in the complaints about the destruction your team cause… and to think that the Magic Council almost passed legislation to forbid your team from taking S Class jobs" Doranbolt stated casually, causing the team's jaws to drop, grumbling about the Magic Council as they did so.

"Sir! The Islands are in sight, we will be stopping at shore in ten minutes" one of the Rune Knights yelled, Doranbolt dismissing his soldier. Team Natsu turned to look at the islands, eyes widening at the sight.

"Holy shit" Gray said, Natsu whistling in response.

The Island looked like something straight from Asuka's Fairy Tail books. The islands were large, the main one covered in luscious green plants, bright moss growing on the cliffs. There was an abundance of waterfalls on the Islands, tall enough to reach the skies before meandering into rivers. They were wrapped around in different shaped clouds while a bunch of large rocks that looked like mini islands, floated in the sky, hovering in mid air lazily above the mainland, the birds flocking to the different islands. Lucy finally understood why Caelum was considered the Sky Islands, because between the floating land masses and the clouds that enveloped the island, it truly did look like it belonged in the sky.

"I see where it gets its name from. Anyway, we don't have time to take in the sights. We have a job to do" Erza commanded, snapping her teammates out of their trance.

"Yosh! Let's go!" Natsu yelled, grabbing Lucy and jumping off the ship, followed by Gray and Erza.

"Doranbolt, are you going to follow us?" Lucy questioned, turning to the Captain.

"No, I have to stay here on the ship and make sure nothing happens. I'll also need to stay here in case we get more orders from the council. However, before you go, here" He called, throwing a communication Lacrima towards the group.

"We will use this to keep in contact. Do not hesitate to call as soon as something goes wrong. I'll also keep you informed of anything happening in Fiore" Doranbolt yelled, the team nodding as they waved goodbye.

"See you in a few days" Natsu yelled before grinning at his team as they rushed into the island.

"Wait! Natsu! We can't just blindly enter an Island we know nothing about. We need to see if there's anyone inhabiting this island and ask him or her if they know where the temple is" Lucy called, trying to slow down her best friend.

"Lucy is right Natsu, we don't have the time to go look for a temple on this island. Happy, take Natsu and fly over, see if you can find any populated towns, Natsu try and sniff out other people" Erza ordered, the two nodding as Happy carried Natsu overhead. Fifteen minutes later, Natsu and Happy returned to the group, grinning as they landed.

"There's a small village down this way, it's about an hour away from here," Happy informed, the teammates nodding as they followed the Blue Cat and his partner. An hour later, the team got to the gates of the large wooden fence that surrounded the village. They stared at the large gate, wondering how they were going to get in. That was until people started yelling at them, holding out weapons as they glared from the top of the fence.

"What are you outsiders doing here? Why have you come to our Island?" One of the males yelled, most likely the leader. He had brown hair styled similar to Laxus, but longer with bright green eyes.

"We are here on official business, please, you must let us in. We only need a few minutes of your time and then we'll be out of your way" Lucy replied, trying to placate the knights.

"What business do you speak off? Outsiders aren't allowed on this island! Be gone you have no business here" The male replied, growing more agitated the presence of the mages.

"Please! We come in peace; we only wish to know if there is a temple dedicated to the Ancient Magic of Stars" Lucy replied, and at her words the guard stiffened.

"Let them in Renji" came a voice, he sounded old and his voice commanded authority.

"But Chief they are outsiders!" Renji responded.

"I said let them in Renji" the voice of the Chief replied, most sternly this time.

Renji grumbled to himself before disappearing with the rest of the guards. Team Natsu watched as the wooden gates opened, giving way to a group of humans dressed in long black robes embroidered with golden lining. In the middle of the humans was an old man with a long beard and a staff, looking at them with kind eyes.

"Come in my children. I am Chief, the head of Village Volans and the head of the Island of Caelum" Chief greeted, smiling cheerily at the mages.

"Hello, I am Erza, these are my comrades, Lucy, Gray, Natsu and Happy. We are from the Fairy Tail guild. We are sorry to bother you but we need directions towards a temple of Ancient Magic of Stars, do you know where it is?" Erza questioned, trying to be polite and refraining from head-butting everyone for answers.

"Hello Erza. I do know where the temple is located, however, before I can tell you, I need to know what business bring you to this Island and why you want the location of our sacred temple" Chief replied and Erza nodded, motioning to Lucy to explain.

"Our guild was recently attacked by an army of Reapers. It seems that there were two mages who awakened one of the Demons of the Nine Pillars and they are going to awaken the rest of the Pillars too and so we are looking for the temple in hopes that it is the resting place of the God keys. We hope to ask the Gods for help in defeating the demons again," Lucy explained, the villagers and Chief gaping in shock at the blonde's words.

"You can't possibly hope to summon the God keys, only a Mage who wields the power of the Stars is capable of doing so and I'm sorry but we haven't had any born in centuries" Chief responded in an apologetic tone.

"We didn't ask for a Celestial Mage, we have one of those! What we need is the location of the temple old man" Gray responded, once again shocking the villagers.

"You have a Celestial Mage? Where? How is that possible? STOP LYING" Renji yelled, wondering what lies the team were spewing.

"We aren't lying. Lucy is a Celestial Mage, which is why we are here. We hope that she can summon the Gods and help save Earthland" Erza replied, the team nodding, as Lucy looked sheepish.

"Impossible… we believed that Celestial Magic died out a few years ago. They were targeted because of their magic and many were eradicated. We'd thought they had died out, Celestial Magic becoming lost to us" Chief whispered, unable to believe what he was being told.

"If you're a Celestial Mage, prove it" Renji stated haughtily, trying to call Lucy's bluff.

"Well I could call Loke or Virgo" Lucy muttered to herself, however before she could reach for her keys, Virgo appeared in a pink poof, Loke in a gold flash.

"Did my Princess call her Lion?" Loke questioned, on his knees with 'I love Lucy' banners above him.

"Punishment time Hime?" Virgo questioned, bowing as she did so.

"Impossible! Two Zodiac at once" One of the villagers admonished.

"She didn't even chant the summoning spell," Another villager stated in shock.

"The leader of the Zodiac, Leo" Another villager stated.

"Virgo, the Virgin, it's true, she is a Celestial Mage" said another of the villagers. Before Lucy knew what was going on, the villagers started bowing down, on their knees in an act of reverence. Lucy and Team Natsu stood still, unsure of what was going on as the villagers started praying, worshipping the two spirits.

"Princess, what is going on?" Loke questioned, wondering what was happening.

"Honestly Loke, I have no idea either" Lucy replied, sweatdropping as she stared at the villagers.

"I'm sorry for this, but it has been so long since we have seen any Celestial Spirits, especially any of the Zodiac. Welcome, Child of the Stars and friends, join us for lunch and we shall tell you all about the temple" The Chief welcomed and soon villagers started gathering around the team and dragging them into the Great Mead Hall.

"Excuse me Chief, what is going on?" Erza questioned, trying to free herself from the villager's grips.

"I will explain everything over lunch" the Chief responded.

"Yes! Food" Natsu yelled, drooling as he looked at the banquet in front of him, Happy similarly drooling over all the fish. The team sat down at one of the tables, next to the Chief and Renji, who turned out to be the Chief's son. Renji kept sending arrogant looks at Lucy, smirking as he tried to catch her attention. Much to his chagrin, Lucy for the most of it was preoccupied with Natsu and Gray, trying to keep them from fighting.

"Now, Chief, what can you tell us about this temple?" Erza questioned, taking a bite of the strawberry cheesecake.

"You see, the Sky Islands or Caelus is an island that is dedicated to Celestial Magic. This was the birthplace of Stellar Magic. Legend has it that it was on this very island that Asteria; the God of Falling Stars placed the Zodiac in the skies and created the constellations. It is also on this very island that the first Celestial Mage was born. Celestial Magic is sacred to us and our ancient ancestors built a temple at the core of this island, under the sky when all twelve Zodiac constellations were present" Chief started explaining, Lucy once more being drawn in by the history of Celestial Magic.

"It was said in this temple that the esteemed and great Celestial Spirit King placed the God keys in order to keep them safe. The Temple is located at the core of this very Island, in the Forest of Phoenix. Celestial Magic is strongest at this temple and centuries ago many Celestial Mages used to travel here in order to train and strengthen their bonds between their Spirits as well as their power. I'm sure that you will be able to find the keys there. However, a warning. Everyone who has journeyed to the temple looking for the God keys has never returned. They've all perished there. Mages who do not wield the Power of the Stars are forbidden from entering unless accompanied by a Celestial Mage" Chief finished and the team nodded, getting up to leave.

"Wait, how do we get to the Forest of Phoenix?" Natsu questioned, scratching his head with a blank look on his face.

"Renji here will guide you. It's a day's trip from this village. We will give you food and blankets to take on your way to make camp at night. Another warning, we are the only inhabited village on this whole Island and so the rest of the Island is filled with various animals and monsters. The journey to the temple is perilous, you must be careful" Chief finished and once more the team nodded.

After another twenty minutes the team were saddled with the tents and food from the villagers, Renji in his armour standing close to Lucy, not that the blonde realised, to busy once again trying to stop Natsu and Gray from fighting. Finally ready to depart, the team thanked the villagers for their hospitality and began their way towards the temple as directed by Renji.

"So, Lucy… what other keys do you have?" Renji questioned, trying to start a conversation with the blonde.

"Oh… umm I have, Loke, Virgo, Taurus, Aquarius, Gemini, Sagittarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Scorpio. Those are all my golden keys. I also have Canis Major, Pyxis, Horologium, Leo Minor, Scutum, Lyra and Crux" Lucy replied, listing all her keys.

"That's… seventeen keys?!" Renji yelled, Lucy nodding at him.

"That's remarkable. And you can summon two of the Zodiac without using the summoning chant and hold them out for a while without fatigue. Truly remarkable" Renji said, astonished.

"Uhh yeah… well I only had fifteen earlier this week. Then Laxus got me two more" Lucy replied, grinning brightly at the thought of her boyfriend's gift.

"Laxus?" Renji questioned, eyes narrowing at the male's name.

"Yeah, Laxus. He's my boyfriend, we've been together for three years now" Lucy replied, before frowning as she remembered their last words.

"Oh… you're in a relationship," Renji whispered to himself, disheartened.

"Mhm, hold on… Natsu, did you hear that?" Lucy questioned, her arm moving to her whip as she looked around.

"Huh Luce?" Natsu questioned, turning to his best friend.

"Guys, be alert. I'm sure I just heard something," Lucy said, pulling out her Fleuve D'Étoiles.

The Team and Renji stopped, looking around, alert as they waited for something to ambush them. They didn't have to wait long before four giant birds flew out of the trees, attacking the mages. The team sprung into action, each taking on a bird as Renji tried to help Lucy.

"Don't worry Lucy! I'll protect you" Renji yelled, drawing out his sword, only to be pushed back as Lucy handled the monster bird herself, having had more experience from her missions with Natsu and their team. Renji watched in surprised silence, as the team effortlessly took down the giant birds, completely in sync with each other. Once they were finished, they turned to each other, grinning as the adrenaline pumped through them. That was until one of the birds got up, flying straight towards Lucy in a last ditch effort.

"LUCE! WATCH OUT" Natsu yelled, running towards her.

Lucy watched as the bird staggered towards her, completely frozen as she stared at the large and daunting bird. However, before she could act, a bright flash filled the air, the bird crashing into something large and solid in front of Lucy. Her team and Renji watched as the cloud of dust and bright flash faded, leaving Lucy unscathed, protected by Scutum.

"Miss Lucy, are you okay?" Scutum questioned, the bird knocked out cold in front of him.

"Yes, I am. Thank you Scutum, I didn't know what I was going to do" Lucy replied, smiling at her spirit. Renji looked at the shield in disbelief. He was caught off guard by both the symbol engraved on the shield and a silver key summoning itself without being summoned by the owner.

"It was my pleasure to protect you Miss Lucy" Scutum replied before flashing back to the Celestial world.

"Hey! Guys! Let's roast these birds and make camp here! I'm hungry" Natsu said, his stomach grumbling.

"Whatever flametard" Gray responded, causing Natsu to glare at him.

"Now, now. Best friends shouldn't fight" Erza said, coming up from behind them and grabbing both of their shoulder.

"Aye Erza! We're best friends" Natsu and Gray yelled, hugging each other as their knees shook.

"Lucy… how did your Spirit come out on it's own?" Renji questioned as he helped the team set up camp.

"I don't know. I haven't really asked but a lot of them force their Gates open whenever they can if they feel I'm in danger. Horologium also does it for my team or guild; he once forced his gate open to save Wendy, one of our teammates who isn't here. Virgo and Loke force their own gates whenever they want and sometimes I can just say their names and they appear, which is what happened today" Lucy replied, shrugging casually.

"Oh I didn't know that you were such a high calibre Celestial Mage… another thing. Can you summon your shield again? I just need to make sure of something," Renji requested. Lucy looked at him strangely before nodding, summoning her spirit.

"Open, Gate of the Shield, Scutum" Lucy summoned and in a flash, he appeared once again.

"You called Miss Lucy?" Scutum questioned.

"It was as I thought. The Emperor Crest… That was all I needed, you can return if you want" Renji said quietly, tracing the crest on Scutum as Lucy and her team looked on in confusion.

"The Emperor Crest?" Lucy questioned as Scutum was dismissed once again.

The team gathered around a fire created by Natsu, eating the roasted bird. Natsu was chewing savagely, food flying everywhere as he enjoyed his meal, much to the chagrin of the rest of his team. Lucy chose to ignore Natsu's antics, used to it as she waited for Renji to explain.

"Yes, the Emperor Crest. You see, each Celestial Mage has their own Crest that identifies them. The Crests are basically like a Magic Seal except different. Around the edges are the Mage's strongest key symbols. For example, your strongest keys are your Zodiac and so the outer edge of your Crest is surrounded by the symbols of the Zodiac you own. Then, inside that are the symbols for the rest of your keys. Finally in the centre of the Crest is a symbol from a hierarchy of power that best represents your level of Celestial Magic" Renji explained.

"I see… what do you mean by a symbol from a hierarchy of power?" Lucy questioned, entranced by the information.

"There are five different hierarchies. The Knight, represented by the sword, is the lowest, usually in the crest of weak mages who can only summon Silver Keys with little power. Next is the Prince, represented by the sceptre, this is given to those who can summon Silver Keys with the usual amount of power" Renji began his explanation.

"The next rank is the Duchess, represented by the diadem and given to those who can summon Silver Keys as well as Gold Keys. The second highest rank is that of the King, represented by the crown and given to those who can call out two Zodiac at a time or different keys in rapid succession. This has been the highest rank seen in history," Renji continue, smiling at how enthused Lucy looked.

"However, there were rumours of a fabled rank called the Emperor, represented by the two curved olive branches. It is only given to Celestial Mages who are able to summon more than two Zodiacs at a time and summon them in rapid succession, but also those who have been recognised by the Celestial King himself. That is your crest. You're power and ability as a Celestial Mage has been recognised by the Spirit King" Renji finished and Lucy nodded, brows furrowing in thought.

"Now that you mention it, I did meet Stache Face when summoning five Zodiac and all my Silver Keys at once in order to save Loke" Lucy pondered out loud.

"WHAT?! YOU'VE MET THE GREAT SPIRIT KING? AND CALL HIM STACHE FACE?" Renji yelled, once more astounded by the Celestial Mage in front of him.

"Oh yeah! He was all big and kingly, not to mention stubborn. But I put him in his place and made him accept Loke again. He's a friend" Lucy replied, grinning as she remembered their encounter, Renji gaping at her words.

"You still astound me with how much you've experienced as a Celestial Mage. No wonder you've got the Emperor's Crest as your emblem" Renji replied, shaking his head at the information.

"You know, since these Demons have attacked, I've found a lot more about Celestial Magic in general, the history, how it works, how it was created. I didn't even know such a thing as Celestial Crests existed" Lucy replied, staring up at the stars, a small smile on her face.

"Celestial Magic is almost a Lost Magic. That and it's origins are here on Caelum, a place that only accessible to a Celestial Mage. A lot of its history is unknown because of this. I'm not surprised that you didn't know about the Crests. That knowledge is privy to this Island only," Renji explained further, Lucy nodding.

"Lucy, Renji. It's time to sleep. We have to be up early tomorrow so that we can find the temple and get the Keys. We've already wasted a day today. We can't afford to lose another one tomorrow" Erza called, the two nodding as they entered their respective tents.

*Time Skip – The Next Day*

Lucy and her team, along with Renji finally found their way through the Forest of Phoenix, reaching a large clearing, with a building in the dead centre. Lucy gasped at the temple, taking in the Celestial Magic emanating from the monument.

It was a large rectangular marble building, the rooftop being held up by large pillars, leaving the temple completely open. Moss and ivy were growing around the pillars, coiling around the columns, the vivid colour a stark contrast against the pale white of the building. On top of the building, in the front was a constellation that Lucy had never seen before. She turned to Renji, waiting for him to explain.

"Asteria's constellation. It was the first ever constellation, made up of twelve bright stars. That was until Asteria placed the Zodiac in each of her constellation's stars, scattering them and creating the Zodiac constellations, each brightest star in their constellations representing the stars in her original constellation. She was the mother of Celestial Magic, so our ancestors felt it was best to put up her constellation" Renji informed, Lucy turning back to it monument in awe.

"This is far as I can take you. I am not a mage and therefore just being in the powerful presence of the temple will kill me. You will be at your strongest here. I wish you luck in your journeys. My father also mentioned that should you ever return to this Island, you would be welcomed with open arms. Goodbye mages of Fairy Tail" Renji said before bowing and making his way back to his village.

"I guess we should make our way in" Gray said, as he began walking inside, followed by his team.

The team walked into the temple, awed by the intricately carved details and depictions on the walls. They made their way further into the temple before reaching the end. Lucy looked at the marble alter with a faded cloth. Behind the altar was an elevated pavement, with steps leading up to a painting. She turned her gaze back to the altar.

"The keys should be on the altar," Gray said, and Lucy nodded, walking up to it, eye widening as she took a look at the table.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

* * *

Oh no! Now what's going to happen to our favourite mages? Well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter... which will be sometime in the future.. hehehe

Please follow, favourite and of course, leave lots of wonderful reviews. Till next time my lovelies


	7. My Heart Will Wait

Okay hi, there are no words for how late everything is. My only excuse is that I have started uni and everything has been... busy. First year is so much more intense than I thought it would be. BUT I'M TRYING! I really am okay, I've almost finished off the next chapter of SOaCM and idk. Please bear with. Enjoy!

* * *

My Heart Will Wait

*At Fairy Tail*

Laxus rubbed his temples as he filed the last of the paperwork for the day. He was nowhere near where he should be in terms of paperwork, but he was finished for the day. If he had to do any more paperwork without his girlfriend's help, he was sure he was going to snap like he did at the Battle of Fairy Tail at Fantasia.

He sighed, remembering that he wouldn't be seeing his girlfriend for another week or so. Laxus frowned, his harsh words echoing in his head, Lucy's stifled sobs wrenching his heart. Now that he thought about it, she was right, as usual. He was needed in Fairy Tail and now that they were caught up in a war, he needed to prioritise his guild. Just like his Gramps had when he excommunicated Ivan for putting the guild at risk.

Laxus frowned, thinking up new ways to try and make it up to his girlfriend. He knew he was in the wrong and he should probably get her something to make it up for her, but what do you get a girl who literally ran away from a life of luxury? He stared up at his office ceiling, the stars sparkling as thoughts of Lucy once more danced in his head.

He already missed his beautiful girlfriend, her cheery smile, addictive laugh and most of all her tantalising body and the intoxicating sound of her moans that only he could entice from her. He groaned, realising that when she'd be back, she'd probably be mad at him. She'd undoubtedly make him sleep on the couch and she most likely wouldn't let him touch her until she was sure he'd learn his lesson.

Laxus sighed as he got up from his office chair, grabbing his coat as he made his way downstairs to the bar. He was in desperate need of a drink and even some food. Before he could go down however, he stared at his guild, taking in their downtrodden forms. It'd been a day since the attack and while everyone was back to their usual self, you could see the worried faces on everyone's face as well as the extent of the damage done to the guild.

He noted that while his guild seemed lively, there were undertones of worry and concern hidden in the eyes of his guild mates. He could understand their anxiety; after all, they were all counting on a legend that was vague at best. However, he had faith in his girlfriend, after all, she was one of the more smarter members. He made his way down to the guild, glaring at everyone's face before clearing his throat. He slammed his fist down onto the table, startling everyone and turning the attention to him, everyone cowering under his glare.

"What are you idiots doing moping around for? I can see past your stupid act" Laxus yelled, causing everyone to look at him in guilt.

"You guys call yourselves Fairy Tail mages? You're all pathetic" Laxus continue, causing yells of indignation.

"What are you talking about Laxus" Mira questioned, glaring at his insult.

"You're all pathetic. Where's your faith in your fellow guild members? Trust that Team Natsu will come back with help, because I damn well know that Sparkles isn't going to come back unless it's with those keys. Now stop moping about like a bunch of pansies," Laxus yelled and the guild rallied behind him, choruses of agreements streaming through the guild.

"Why are we all worried? Of course Lucy is going to come back with help" Macao called, raising his glass.

"You're right Laxus, Team Natsu have never let us down before" Wakaba replied, raising his own glass.

"This is Lucy we're talking about, what are we worried for?" Cana questioned, her guild mates nodding in return as she raised a barrel in their favour.

"TO TEAM NATSU" Meredy yelled, raising her own glass in pride.

Soon everyone had their glasses in the air, drinking and cheering as they celebrated. Laxus nodded at Makarov who was grinning at him before moving to the bar, ordering a beer as he did so.

"That was nice of you to say Laxus, it's on the house" Mira said as she placed the beer mug in front of him, Laxus raising his brow at the bar mage.

"In case you didn't already know Mira, all my orders are on the house. I've never paid for a drink here. Also, I had to say something, you're worried looks were irritating me. I know Sparkles would be annoyed if I didn't say anything about them" Laxus replied, shrugging as Mira smiled knowingly.

"Uh huh, admit it Laxus, you care about this guild as much as Lucy does" Mira said, smiling cheerily as Laxus huffed.

"Tch, whatever" Laxus replied before downing his beer and ordering another one.

*With Team Natsu*

Staring at the altar in shock, Lucy quickly gathered herself together. She let out a strangled cry, frantically looking around for the keys, however she couldn't find them. She turned to her team, who stared at her expectantly before taking in her panicked face.

"They're not here" Lucy whispered, a worried look etched upon her face.

"What? Are you sure?" Erza questioned as she marched up to the altar.

"I'm sorry, we've come all this way for nothing" Lucy apologised, holding onto her arm with a helpless look on her face.

"Whatcha apologising for Luce? It's not your fault" Natsu questioned, smiling at his best friend.

"Without these keys, we're all going to die. I'm sorry" Lucy whispered, staring at the floor, unable to look at her best friends.

"Flametard is right for once, it's not your fault. We may be at a great disadvantage to the Demons, but we'll go down fighting. We won't give up" Gray replied, grinning at his teammate in reassurance.

"We should have known that it couldn't be here. After all, the legend said that we'd find the keys here but that they were in the Paradise of Olympus. Let's get back to the boat and Fiore. We need to be there for the next attack" Erza ordered, the team nodding.

Lucy followed behind her team, dragging along as she went through the Crux's words in her head once again. Suddenly she stilled, causing her teammates to frown as they took in the look of alarm on her face. She quickly whipped around, staring at the painting in the back of the temple.

"Lucy? What is it?" Erza questioned, wondering why her friend has stopped.

"Legend also states that the pathway to obtain the Keys are on the Sky Islands themselves, in a temple where the Ancient Magic of the Stars began…" Lucy muttered out loud, remembering Crux's words clearly.

"What was that?" Gray questioned, wondering what Lucy was muttering about.

"Legend also states that the pathway to obtain the Keys are on the Sky Islands themselves, in a temple where the Ancient Magic of the Stars began!" Lucy exclaimed again out loud, unable to remove her eyes from the painting.

"What does that even mean?" Natsu questioned, staring oddly at Lucy.

"This temple, there is nothing here except for a few tapestries and statues and yet, there is an extraordinary amount of Celestial Magic Eternano being radiated off of it. Even if it's at the heart of this island, why is it radiating so much power?" Lucy questioned, turning back to her friends.

"I don't know Luce… stop asking hard questions, it's hurting my brain" Natsu grumbled, clutching his head at the migraine forming.

"It's because there is something in this temple that is radiating that power" Lucy replied, causing looks of puzzlement on her friends face.

"What is it Lushy?" Happy questioned, flying over to the Celestial Mage.

"I'm going to assume that it's the pathway to obtain the keys. That's what it meant by the keys are on Earthland and in Paradise of Olympus. The keys are technically being held on Earthland, however to get them, you have to travel to Olympus through the pathway on Earthland" Lucy claimed in excitement.

"So where's this pathway? I don't see anything here," Gray claimed, the team looking around, until Lucy pointed towards the painting.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that the painting over there is the pathway" Lucy exclaimed, walking closer to it as she inspected the image closely.

"What have you been drinking? Natsu! Lucy's finally gone crazy" Happy claimed, causing Lucy to glare at him.

"Shut up you stupid cat! I'm sure this is the pathway. I mean look at it" Lucy said, gesturing to the image.

"It looks like an ordinary painting Lucy" Erza said, knocking the painting.

"No, but look at it. Look at what's been painted" Lucy pointed out, and the team leaned in closely, wondering what they were supposed to be seeing.

The painting was the only thing in the temple that hadn't been ruined. Bright greens, blues and whites all sticking out in a vivid image. It was a painting of an island, similar to that of Caelum, except the Island was suspended in the sky. On the main island was a large building, taking up the entirety of the land. Surrounded by the island were smaller islands. One of the smaller islands had an arch with a blue orb. The team continued staring, before turning to Lucy. **(A/N: Link for what Olympus looks like is on my tumblr)**

"What is it?" Gray questioned, causing Lucy to sigh.

"This is another guess, but I'm assuming that, that is the Paradise of Olympus. I mean it does make sense. Where would Gods rest if not for the sky?" Lucy questioned, grinning brightly.

"I still don't think it's a portal Lucy" Natsu replied, staring at the image carefully.

"IT TOTALLY IS" Lucy childishly argued back.

"Is not" came Natsu's reply.

"Is too" Lucy shot back, growing agitated with the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"See, not a portal. It's solid" Natsu claimed as he too touched the painting, causing Lucy to frown.

"But I was sure" Lucy muttered.

She reached over to touch the painting. As soon as she did, a large magic seal appeared under Lucy before flying in the air. The magic circle was none other than Lucy's Celestial Emperor Crest. The Emperor Crest spun in the air before shrinking to a smaller size. It then proceeded to attach itself on to the painting, in between Lucy's palm and the image. The entirety of Team Natsu's eyes widened, watching as the painting rippled before allowing Lucy's hand to pass through. Lucy quickly retracted her hand, staring at the canvas in surprise.

"Holy shit" Gray claimed, watching as the impossible unfolded in front of him.

"You were right Lucy, it is a portal" Erza spoke in astonishment as she stared at Lucy's befuddle face.

"YOSH! LET'S GO" Natsu called, trying to run through the gateway, only to slam into something solid, the portrait rejecting him.

"Huh? What happened? Lucy! I think the portal closed! Open it up again" Natsu yelled, causing Lucy to frown as she once again tried to pass through, her arm doing so with ease.

"It's not closed Natsu, you just can't pass through" Erza replied, watching as Lucy's hand once again disappeared into the painting.

"Maybe it's because Natsu is a Dragon Slayer, one of the three factions that used to be in power. If this is the home of the Gods, then you obviously can't be allowed in" Lucy explained, biting her lips as she pondered her thoughts.

"That would make sense, let me try" Gray called, trying to enter, only to be rejected, much like Natsu.

"Huh? I guess that theory was off" Gray muttered, rubbing his head.

"Let me try" Erza stated, pushing past the two boys and trying to get into the Paradise, only for her to be rejected by the painting as well.

"What the hell is going on? Why can only Lucy pass through?" Happy questioned as the team turned to Lucy, waiting for an explanation.

"I… I don't know" Lucy mumbled, turning to the strange painting once again. However, before she could attempt to pass through, a bright flash signalled Loke's arrival, the Lion's face grim as he stared at the painting.

"Loke! Are you here to explain this?" Lucy questioned, turning to her spirit.

"Indeed I am. I have been speaking to the Spirit King and he's informed me of the portal" Loke replied, his grim expression never leaving his face.

"What is it?" Erza questioned, wondering what had put the sour look on the Lion's face.

"It seems that only those with Celestial Magic can pass through the portal. Even if Lucy was to hold onto you and take you through, the portal would reject you" Loke spoke, his voice bitter.

"Why?" Happy questioned.

"Because only those who are worthy are allowed to contract the keys. That was the deal. If Lucy passes through the portal, she has to do it on her own. Once she goes through, there will be three trials for her to complete in order to prove her worth to the Gods, she can't have any outside help or that defeats the purpose of the trials" Loke explained, causing the team to frown.

"What sort of trials?" Lucy questioned, wondering what was in store for her.

"No one knows, not the King, not me, only the Gods. The portal allows you into the Paradise of Olympus without consequences and you'll be allowed to roam freely as long as you pass the trials. The Gods set up the trials themselves, to ensure that the mages were worthy. Therefore no one knows what exactly they'll entail. They could be a measure of power, or intellect or the strength of heart. It could be anything," Loke continued, causing the team to sigh.

"I'm sure that I could pass the trials, I mean I'll have to if I want to save Earthland" Lucy mumbled, causing doubtful looks to pass through.

"No, Lucy… you don't understand. People have managed to make it to here; they've managed to pass through. But they've never made it back out. The only way to return to Earthland is by passing the trials and making a contract with all the Gods. If you do not manage to do that, you will die there," Loke clarified once again, evoking shocked looks from the mages.

"But I'll make it through the trials. I'll pass them. I have to, besides I'll have my spirits right?" Lucy questioned causing Loke to shake his head.

"Once you're in there, you're completely alone. It's the Paradise of Olympus, therefore the rules state that no contracted Spirit can enter or be summoned. You'll have no one if you fail. You'll die a lonely death" Loke stated, his eyes full of sadness.

"But if I can pass the trials, summon and contract the Gods then I'll be allowed back right? So I just have to make sure that I do that, no matter how long it takes, I won't give up" Lucy replied defiantly, causing Loke to stand up, glaring at her.

"NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Loke yelled, grabbing her as he stared dead into her eyes.

"What?" Lucy whispered, shocked by the look of distress on Loke's face, he'd never looked so sad, angry or broken before. At least not when looking at her.

"We don't know how time passes in that world… it could be a day there and a day here or a day there and months or years in Earthland. Even if you do eventually find it in yourself to contract the keys, we may all be dead, either by time or by the Demons" Loke responded in a defeated tone, Lucy's eyes widening in disbelief at the information.

"Loke… I have to do this" Lucy said, looking at her spirit sadly.

"Lucy… you don't. We can't take the risk of losing you" Erza stated, trying to make Lucy see sense.

"No! You don't understand! I have to do this!" Lucy yelled, brushing of Loke's grasp as she turned away from her group, hugging herself.

"What are you talking about Lucy? You don't have to do anything," Gray reasoned, only for Lucy to shake her head.

"NO YOU _DON'T_ UNDERSTAND! I HAVE TO DO THIS! I HAVE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AGAIN!" Lucy yelled and finally the damn broke.

She fell to the floor, much to the shock of others. They took in her helpless form heaped on the floor, sobs wracking her entire body as she hugged herself closely. Natsu walked up to Lucy, trying to comfort her, only for her to push him away as she shook her head.

"What do you have to make right Lucy?" Erza questioned softly, wondering what was going through the blonde's head.

"I did this. It was because of me that the Demons are being awakened. If it weren't for my magic or me causing trouble again, none of this would be happening. We wouldn't be at war with something we can't fight. We would all be at Fairy Tail, enjoying ourselves at the guild. But we're here, because I was able to get the Key of Solomon. To make it worse, it was me who handed it to Minerva… it's my fault we're at war. And now only my magic can save us! Don't you see! I have to do this! I have to make things right" Lucy yelled as she continued sobbing, her team frozen in shock as they took in Lucy's guilt ridden words.

"No one blames you Luce…" Natsu said, once again trying to approach his best friend.

"No, you don't! Which makes it harder because you just forgave me! You all act like I've done nothing wrong but I have! You don't blame me and you've forgive me but I can't forgive myself and I can't just sit back and act like it wasn't my fault! What kind of a friend would I be if I just stood aside and watched my friends die without accepting that it was my fault, taking the blame and trying to make it right? I put my guild in danger! I put my family in danger! The only people who have truly accepted me for who I am are now in a war that can't be won unless I do this! I have to save my friends, I have to save my family" Lucy replied, finally turning to look at her friends with conviction.

"BUT SENDING YOURSELF INTO THAT PORTRAIT AND POSSIBLY KILLING YOURSELF IS NO WAY OF HELPING" Loke yelled, once again trying to make her see reason.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! BUT I CAN DO THIS! I KNOW I CAN! YOU JUST HAVE TO TRUST ME! YOU SAID SO YOURSELF! YOU TOLD LAXUS YOU HAD FAITH IN ME! WHERE'S YOUR FAITH NOW?" Lucy questioned once again.

"THAT WAS BEFORE I KNEW ABOUT THIS! YOU COULD DIE. NO LUCY! YOU'RE NOT ENETERING OLYMPUS AND LEAVING EARTHLAND IF _I_ _CANNOT_ _FOLLOW YOU THERE_ " Loke screamed only for Lucy to shake her head.

"There's a possibility that I'll die yes… but there's also the possibility that I'll make it through. Loke please, have faith in me" Lucy begged.

"I can't… you can't ask me to do this for you. I pledged myself to you, to keep you safe. You can't just ask me to let you leave, especially if it's a reckless decision," Loke responding, his tone equally pleading.

"Loke… there's nothing you can say to stop me from entering there. I'm going to do this, with or without your permission so please… Laxus is already mad at me for my decisions… please don't be mad at me too" Lucy stuttered out, tears falling down her face once again.

"I could never be mad at you Lucy. But please just think about this decision. You could be leaving us all behind, forever," Loke implored once again, only for Lucy to shake her head.

"We don't have the time. The quicker I get into that portal, the quicker I can get back. Loke, just have faith in me" Lucy said, walking up to her Lion spirit and pulling him in for a hug.

"I know. I will" Loke replied in resignation, accepting that his Stellar Mage was as stubborn as her boyfriend when it came to helping her guild. Loke held onto Lucy's small form tightly, unwilling to let her go as he cried in her arms. Lucy comforted her strongest spirit, petting him and whispering hushed words of comfort into his ears.

Team Natsu watched in sadness before they too joined the hug, holding onto Lucy tightly, not wanting to let her go. Lucy smiled softly as Happy cried into her breasts, Erza holding onto her tightly. Natsu freely cried, Gray trying to pick fun at his frenemy while hiding his own tears. They finally let her go, wiping their eyes as they watched Lucy walk over to the portrait once again, only to be stopped as bright flashes filled the air, her Zodiac spirit keys as well as Leone, Scutum and Horologium passing through their gate of their own free will.

"Tch, brat, did you think that we were going to let you go without saying goodbye?" Aquarius questioned, her usual angry tone lacing her voice, despite the sadness on her face.

"Hime, we couldn't let you go without coming out to see you. Punishment time?" Virgo questioned, bowing as she looked at her Princess.

"LUCY! DON'T GO! I'LL MISS YOUR FINE BODY" Taurus yelled, tears flowing down his face comically.

"Sorry… I also wanted to say goodbye… sorry" Aries replied shyly.

"Lucy! Lucy! Stay and play with us!" Gemi and Mini called, flying over as they hugged their Spirit mage.

"It was an honour working under you Miss Lucy" Sagittarius stated, saluting her in a typical soldier like fashion.

"Tch, you just contracted me Busty, and you're going to leave already?" Leone questioned, looking at her with his usual cold eyes.

"Come back soon Miss Lucy, so that I can protect you once again" Scutum said in his usual gruff voice.

"I will protect your friends from acne and anything else while you are away" Horologium stated, bowing.

"We are! We'll be waiting for your return Miss Lucy" Scorpio called, holding Aquarius close to him.

"I look forward to the day I can style your hair again. Ebi" Cancer said in his usual smooth voice.

"Miss Lucy… Layla would be proud of the woman you have become. Lyra, Plue, Pyxis and Crux also send their regards. I have been pledged to you, and waited for years for you to claim me again. I will continue to wait for your return" Capricorn finished, standing tall.

She gazed fondly at her friends, smiling brightly, despite the sadness in her chest as she took in her team and spirits. She didn't know when she'd be back; so she just wanted to look at them, take in what they looked like. She took in the sad faces of her spirits, many of them still crying as they looked at her.

"Oh, I almost forgot" Lucy said, giggling as her team looked at her, wondering what she was talking about. She reached to her belt, unclasping her key ring and looked at her keys, brushing them with her fingertips before throwing them in the air and towards Natsu, who caught them in shock.

"Ne Natsu? Take care of my keys till I come back okay?" Lucy requested, smiling brightly as her best friend nodded, his tears falling once more as he clutched her keys tightly.

"LUCY WAIT!" Natsu yelled, watching as his friend turned away, only for her to turn back.

"What is it?" Lucy questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"Promise me that you'll return to us, no matter what" Natsu replied, holding her keys up in the air, causing Lucy's eyes to widen before nodding.

"I promise to return to you guys, no matter what," Lucy swore, nodding as her friends stared at her in pride and sadness.

"Then we promise to keep our contracts with you active, until you return" Loke vowed, stepping in front of his fellow spirits.

"And we'll be here when you come back Lucy… we'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes for you to return to us," Gray promised, holding up his hand in the symbol of Fairy Tail.

Lucy watched as one by one each of her teammates and spirits raised their hands, donning the symbol of Fairy Tail on their hands, each making a promise to wait for her return. Lucy let out a small smile before finally turning her back on her friends, and entering the portal, her own hand going up, her guild insignia held up with pride as she made a promise to return.

"You'll never be alone Lucy, remember that. As long as you proudly wear your guild mark, Fairy Tail will always be with you in your heart" Erza called out, holding up her own hand proudly.

"We'll wait Lucy, even if it means waiting forever," Natsu vowed, watching as his best friend disappeared off into the portal and into the unknown.

* * *

Okay yes! Hopefully updates will be regular? No promises, please don't hate/get angry with me! Much love to you all

Leave reviews to motivate me!


End file.
